Record British Success at World University Games
• 3 MINUTE READ
Great Britain’s tennis team achieved historic success at the World University Games in Germany, bringing home three medals for the first time.
The Brits competed across all five tennis events at the Games, including the men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles draws.
British team captains Alistair Higham and Barry Scollo took a strong squad with them to Essen, with three of the squad boasting ITF titles and an ATP Challenger doubles title between them. The full squad comprised:
- Eliz Maloney – Loughborough University
- Esther Adeshina – University of Tennessee
- Grace Heather Piper – University of Southern California, University of Bristol (Masters)
- Jamie Connel – Florida State University
- Toby Samuel – University of South Carolina
- Rahul Dhokia – Durham University
In the men’s singles, Toby Samuel and James Connel enjoyed a fantastic tournament, bringing home silver and bronze medals respectively, the first British men’s singles medals since a silver medal won by Jeff Hunter in 1993.
In a tense final, 12th seed Samuel faced off against Japan’s 13th seed Jay Friend, with the Brit narrowly missing out on the title 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
Toby Samuel in action in the men's singles final against Japan's Jay Friend (credit: Michael Chisholm/Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games)
Both men enjoyed notable results on their runs to the medals, with Samuel beating world No.233 Ilia Simakin 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the quarter-finals to guarantee GB’s first medal of the event.
Meanwhile, Connel defeated top seed, world No.174 and Lexus Birmingham Open quarter-finalist Coleman Wong of Hong Kong in a thrilling 0-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(4) third round match-up, lasting nearly two and a half hours, on his way to sealing a bronze medal.
The third medal for GB saw the men awarded a team silver medal for their overall performance during the competition.
On the women’s side of the draw, Eliz Maloney achieved a notable result of her own, defeating world No.354 and third seed Polina Iatchenko on her way to reaching the quarter-finals.
Whilst competing in Germany, as well as being a flagbearer for Team GB at the Games’ opening ceremony, Maloney received recognition of her stellar year representing Loughborough University, being named the BUCS Sportswoman of the Year.
In the mixed doubles, Connel teamed up with Grace Piper to reach the quarter-finals, defeating the fifth seeded Turkish pair of Duru Soke and Tuncay Duran, but falling to the Portuguese fourth seeds Maria De Liborio Garcia and Pedro Araujo 6-4, 7-6(3).
Alistair Higham, LTA University Support Manager and co-captain of the team, said of the squad’s success, “This was a standout Games for us. To win two men’s singles medals on clay courts along with the men’s team medal, makes it our most successful Games ever. The team spirit, as always gives us the edge in the tight matches.”
Current British players on the ATP and WTA Tours have featured for Great Britain at previous editions of the World University Games, including multiple Grand Slam doubles champion Joe Salisbury, who won Gold in the men’s doubles 2015 with Darren Walsh, and British women’s doubles No.1 Olivia Nicholls, who took home Bronze in the women’s doubles in 2017 with Emily Arbuthnott.
University Tennis
Head to our university pages to find out more about how you can get involved with the sport wherever you’re studying.
