British University Tennis: A new season approaches

As well as the number of teams entering, the standard in the BUCS National League continues to rise with the six top Men’s and Women’s teams mainly comprising of players who have a world ranking or have graduated from the US College system and are now continuing their journey in Britain.

Teams to watch in 2026/27

Who will dominate this year? It’s going to be a tough call.

Last season the University of Stirling Men's 1st team achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first team since Durham University in the 2016-17 season to complete the BUCS Men's Tennis clean sweep. They captured both the Men's National League and Men's National Championship titles, while individual players secured the Men's Singles Championship and Men's Doubles Championship crowns.

Their extraordinary season was recognised beyond tennis, with the team being named both BUCS Team of the Year and Scottish Student Sport (SSS) Team of the Year 2026.

Stirling University, the first men's team for almost a decade to sweep the BUCS men's titles. (Jas Ghata-Aura/BUCS Sport)

On the women's side, Loughborough University once again set the standard. Loughborough successfully defended both the Women's National League and Women's National Championship titles, securing back-to-back crowns in university tennis's premier competitions. The university also added the Women's National Vase and Men's National Vase titles to an already impressive haul.

Leading the way was Eliz Maloney, who cemented her legacy as one of the finest players in university tennis. Maloney claimed a second consecutive BUCS Women's Singles Championship and her achievements throughout the year were further recognised when she was named BUCS Sportswoman of the Year 2025.

These two teams will undoubtedly be the ones to beat again but as universities recruit new players each year, it’s never a certainty. For the first time, The University of Essex will feature in the Women’s National League and by all accounts, they will not be easy to beat.

What is for sure though is that with increased participation, growing visibility and an expanding competition programme, tennis has further strengthened its position as one of the leading sports within the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) landscape.

The victorious Loughborough University Women's 1st team, who claimed both the BUCS National League and National Championship titles (Jas Ghata-Aura/BUCS Sport)

Alistair Higham, LTA Universities Manager said "The BUCS tennis leagues are unique and very valuable in the British Tennis competition landscape. In no other competition are there weekly team fixtures for both singles and doubles matches across a six-month period. It’s great to see the number of teams entering continuing to rise."

Beyond the National leagues, 2025-26 will be remembered as one of the most successful years in the history of the student game. As well as the achievements above, wheelchair tennis continued its upward trajectory, with a record number of universities entering the Wheelchair Tennis Championships.

Furthermore, 2025 saw the introduction of padel into the BUCS programme, with the inaugural competition featuring 37 teams (28 men's and nine women's) comprising 79 participants from 20 universities. The University of Leeds and University of Birmingham claimed the inaugural men's and women's team titles respectively. Padel has now been formally adopted into the BUCS competition programme, and with strong early interest from institutions across the country, the sport is well placed for continued growth within the university sector.

Neal Kington, BUCS Head of Competitions, said, "The introduction of Padel into the BUCS programme marks an exciting milestone, creating new opportunities for students to engage with one of the fastest-growing racket sports in the world.”

British university tennis on the world stage

University tennis once again demonstrated its importance to the player pathway through outstanding international performances.

In December, GB Students captured the 2025 Master'U BNP Paribas World University Team Championship, defeating the United States in a dramatic final to secure Great Britain's first title since 2017. The victory represented an eighth consecutive medal at the Master'U Championships and a 17th consecutive medal at major international university tennis events, including the World University Games.

Earlier in the year, British players also enjoyed their most successful World University Games campaign to date, winning three tennis medals for the first time. Toby Samuel secured a men's singles silver medal, becoming the first British men's singles medallist at the event since 1993, while GB also collected men's singles bronze and men's team silver medals.

Since his success in Germany, Samuel has continued his impressive rise through the professional ranks, establishing himself among Britain's leading players rising from ATP 889 early last year to a new career-high of 109 by August this year.

With record participation, growing event entry numbers, historic on-court achievements, the successful introduction of Padel and continued international success, 2025-26 stands as another landmark year for university tennis in Great Britain and provides strong foundations for even greater progress in the year ahead.

Wheelchair tennis has continued to grow across the university space, with record numbers of athletes competiting in 2025-26 (Neil Duggan Photography)

Honour Roll: 2025-26 Champions

Team Champions

Individual Champions

Padel Champions