Doubles delight for Dudeney in battle of the Brits at Lexus British Pro Series Manchester

22-year-old Dudeney, who enjoyed a stellar 2025 with nine titles across singles and doubles competitions, continued her form into 2026 at the Manchester Tennis and Football Centre. as she and Malygina reached the final of the tournament without dropping a set.

There, the pair faced top seeds Weronika Falkwoska of Poland and Dudeney’s fellow Brit Emily Appleton for a chance at the title.

The No.1 seeds set the tone early on, flying out of the blocks to win nine out of the first ten games, claiming the first set 6-1 and going a break up in the second.

However, Dudeney and Malygina fought back, avoiding going a double break down before beginning to reel in Appleton and Falkowska. After saving match points, the British, Estonian pair held on in the tie-break to take the second set, and force a deciding match tie-break.

After an hour and 46 minutes, Dudeney eventually managed to serve out the match and secured the title with a 1-6, 7-6(6), 10-7 win.

After the match, Dudeney said, “It feels great. It’s only our third time playing together, but we have the best time on court, it’s always fun and we always play well together, so hopefully that sets the tone for the year!”

In the singles, it was a battle of two rising stars as 20-year-old Swiss native Celine Naef took on 18-year-old Elizara Yaneva of Bulgaria, who knocked out British rising star Mika Stojsavljevic in the semi-finals.

In a tight three-set battle, it was Naef who would go on to take the title with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Bulgarian.

After her title win, Naef said, “It was a great week for me, I was really excited to play – I had an amazing preseason so was ready to compete again.”

On her final performance, she added, “I was a bit nervous and she was playing well. Of course, sometimes there are ups and down, but you just keep going with your plan… and at the end, I think I deserved the win.”

Following the conclusion of the singles final, Tournament Director Kerry Smith said, “It's been a great week here at Manchester Tennis and Football Centre on the Etihad Campus for the first women's tour event in Britain of 2026. We saw brilliant action throughout the tournament, with both finals thrilling three-setters of a really high level. Thank you very much to the staff here at the centre, and to Manchester Active for their backing of the event."

Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure at Manchester City Council, said, "It’s fantastic to welcome the Lexus British Pro Series W50 event to Manchester following on from the success of the W35 tournament in 2025. As a city, we remain committed to making sport accessible for everyone, especially creating more opportunities for women and girls to take part, compete, and thrive.

"Events like this not only bring world‑level tennis to our city but inspire the next generation. We want to see even more of our local community picking up a racket, getting active, and enjoying everything tennis has to offer."

International tournaments such as the Lexus British Pro Series Manchester are part of the LTA’s Performance Competitions Calendar (PCC) which provides significantly enhanced opportunities for British players at each age and stage of the performance player pathway on home soil. The calendar is designed to provide comprehensive opportunities for British players to play, earn ranking points and win prize money at home, throughout the year.

After a week off, the women’s tour heads to the Edgbaston Priory Club for the Lexus British Pro Series Birmingham, an ITF W35 event, whilst the men continue their stay at Scotstoun Community Tennis Centre in Glasgow for the Lexus British Pro Series Glasgow ITF M25 event.