Harry Wendelken & Eliz Maloney retain titles at the 2025 Lexus British Tour Masters
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It was déjà vu in the 2025 Lexus British Tour Masters finals as Harry Wendelken and Eliz Maloney successfully defended their respective titles.
The men’s final was first up at Loughborough University on Saturday, with top seed Wendelken claiming his third career British Tour Masters trophy with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Phoenix Weir.
Both players finished top of their round robin groups before University of Nottingham’s Weir knocked out Marcus Walters 7-6(2), 6-4 in the semi-finals to reverse the outcome of the 2023 final, while Wendelken dropped his first set of the tournament in a 6-7(2), 6-1, 10-4 win over second seed James Story.
In the final, Premier Tier Loughborough winner Weir proved his form and familiarity with the conditions but was unable to capitalise on three break points in the fourth game of the opening set.
After Wendelken responded with first serves and aggressive tennis to fend off all three opportunities, the 20-year-old struggled to maintain in the following game: a break for Wendelken going some distance to securing the 6-4 opening set.
The 23-year-old’s confidence, aided by three pro titles this season, was evident in a solid second set performance. While Weir summoned his best offensive tennis to save championship points and break back for 3-5, Wendelken’s superior consistency curtailed the comeback.
He never gave up, and yeah, for the last five minutes I was pretty worried that he was going to get back in the match, but I managed to get there in the end.
“I thought he played a really high level match,” Wendelken credited his opponent post-victory. “I was pushed throughout. He never gave up, and yeah, for the last five minutes I was pretty worried that he was going to get back in the match, but I managed to get there in the end.”
The three-time Masters champion currently sits at a career-high world ranking of no. 315, helped by a first ATP Challenger Tour title in October.
Of that run in Greece, Wendelken reflected: “That was definitely a memorable week. It was a goal of mine this year and it’s given me so much more confidence, and obviously it’s increased my ranking to get into different tournaments, so I’m looking forward to next year.
“I’m trying not to look too far into it, but I’d really like to try and get into French Open qualifying. That would be the big, big goal for me.”
In the women’s event, Loughborough-based Maloney exacted revenge for her Group 2 defeat to Tegan Bush with a 6-2, 2-6, 10-7 victroy in the final.
Both players had been forced to fight across the three days of action in Loughborough: Maloney’s semi-final win over top seed Freya Christie came in her third match tie-break, while Bush lost her opening three sets of the tournament before a 6-4, 7-5 victory over fellow teenager Lois Newberry in the final four.
In a tense baseline battle, the more experienced Maloney consistently stepped up to attack Bush’s second serve en route to a 5-1 advantage in the final.
The threat of losing the opener jumpstarted the second seed, who managed to sneak a break back before Maloney closed out the set, but Bush broke early for a 2-1 lead in set two.
A lengthy off-court medical timeout for Maloney didn’t disrupt the 17-year-old on her way to forcing a deciding match tie-break.
However, Maloney managed to halt the teenager’s comeback as she saw out the match 10-7 in the tie-break.
I think Tegan definitely raised her game and I’m not sure how much the ab was affecting me, but I just thought: ‘it’s a good thing is it’s a 10 point tie-break, get there and it’s anyone’s to win.
“I played Tegan yesterday, so we both sort of knew what was coming, and I made a few changes and thought I played a really good first set,” Maloney said. “And then at the beginning of the second set I started feeling my ab – it started on the serve and then spread, so I just wanted to get it looked at [because] it’s been a long season.
“I think Tegan definitely raised her game and I’m not sure how much the ab was affecting me, but I just thought: ‘it’s a good thing is it’s a 10 point tie-break, get there and it’s anyone’s to win’.”
A stunning 12 months for Maloney has seen her acknowledged on a national level as BUCS Sportswoman of the Year. Her Individual, Team and National Championships titles sit alongside the World University gold medal, claimed with GB over the USA less than two weeks ago.
“It’s just been incredible,” Maloney enthused. “It’s been a really big team effort with the girls on my team who I play BUCS with, and all the staff at Loughborough. And getting the opportunity to play some GB university matches was a big confidence boost.
“We only flew back [from France] on Monday, so really recent! It was a massive highlight of my tennis career, and taking those good emotions into this week definitely helped.”
