Bids open for 2027 World Championship Challenge
Final Eliminator bids also open
The bidding process for the 2027 World Championship have officially opened following the publication of the bid documents by the International Real Tennis Professionals Association (IRTPA) on Tuesday.
The most recent World Championship was held at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, and was won by defending champion Camden Riviere over challenger John Lumley for the second consecutive cycle. Riviere is expected to defend his title in 2027, though his participation does not need to be confirmed until December 2026. Riviere’s challenger will be decided by the 2027 World Championship Eliminator series, with the bidding to host the Final Eliminator also opening on Tuesday.
The World Championship Challenge is expected to be held in September 2027. Clubs can bid by submitting a bid to the IRTPA Executive. The deadline for the close of bids is October 2, 2026. The successful club will be notified by October 17, 2026.
Three-fifths of a club’s bid is based on the guaranteed prize fund that the club nominates. One-fifth is based on international rotation, and one-fifth is based on venue suitability and “good of the game” heuristics.
Given the last two Challenges have been held in the USA, the international rotation criteria increases the likelihood a bid from the UK, France or Australia will be successful. Any American Club has to post a higher guaranteed prize fund to overcome the international rotation penalty. Clubs outside of North America are being actively encourage to bid; the bid documents outline the past ticket prices and social functions to demonstrate that the event can be revenue-generating for the host club.
The bidding for the 2027 Final Eliminator is slightly different — a minimum bid of $20,000 USD applies. A club may bid to host regardless of the players involved or only to host should a particular player qualify. A player-ambivalent bid will be favoured over a player-specific bid, regardless of the size of the bid. If no bids are received, the process defaults to home-and-away matches.
The deadline for the close of bids for the Final Eliminator is November 28, 2026 — after the conclusion of the British Open. The successful club will be notified by December 7, 2026. The format for the Final Eliminator will be the best-of-13 sets, played over 3 days. The match is expected to be held in May 2027.
To qualify for the Eliminators, a player must finish in the top four in the World Race, excluding the defending champion. The 2025/26 World Race is currently lead by John Lumley, with 50,980 points. Robert Fahey currently sits second with 37,500 points, though as the former World Champion is currently enjoying retirement, he reserves the right not to participate even should he qualify. Should Fahey not participate, his place in the Eliminators will not be replaced. Three players are currently vying for the remaining two spots: Nick Howell with 32,727 points, Ben Taylor-Matthews with 29,460 points and Steve Virgona with 20,330 points. There are six remaining events in the World Race, which will conclude with the 2026 British Open in November.
Clubs that are interested in hosting either the World Championship Challenge or the Final Eliminator are encouraged to consult the IRTPA Executive in advance of submitting their bid. The bid documents for the Challenge are available here, and the bid documents for the Final Eliminator are available here.