Camden Riviere has won the IRTPA Players’ Championship for the second consecutive year, winning the final in commanding fashion in straight sets in Aiken on Sunday against long-term challenger John Lumley.
For the second time in barely over a month, the two pre-eminent real tennis players in the world, Camden Riviere and John Lumley, took to the court for a tournament final. The previous occasion, at the French Open in Paris, had gone to the wire, with the World Champion winning in the final game. Riviere, decked out in spectacles for the first time in the tournament, was immediately at his full-flowing creative best. His play was effortless, his nonchalant skipping around the court disguising just how fast he was moving. The control he had of his racket head turned an innocuous-looking ball into a vicious weapon. Lumley was under pressure immediately, having to pull out some of his best retrievals just to stay in the reste. Lumley tried attacking the dedans instead, but Riviere was able to pick off the volley and turn it onto the tambour instead. Riviere led from the start of the set to the finish, conceding three games across the set through rare errors forced out of him by Lumley. Lumley did have a couple of chances to force a 4/5 game, but Riviere kept him on the defensive — especially around the tambour — and unable to push further.
Riviere was at his fearsome best through the second set. He exhibited a mastery of pace, spin, control, floor-speed and serving. There was little Lumley could to to counter it, winning just two of the first twelve points of the set. A minor blip followed, with Lumley winning the next four points for his only game of the set. Riviere never let him get to deuce again until the 5/1 game, his unrelenting play making Lumley’s resistance wilt.
A short break took place between the second and third sets. Lumley continued to toil into the third set, having a long run at the service end at the start of the set. Even so, he only managed to fight to a draw across the first four games as Riviere played a perfect read off the tambour. Lumley could not find a way to wrong-foot his opponent, with Riviere boasting and scooping and flicking his way out of whatever trouble he found himself in. But once again, no matter how well Lumley was playing or how unreturnable his shots seemed to be, Riviere had an answer, winning three games in a row to earn a decisive lead in the set. Lumley kept attacking the last gallery to earn chases, eventually earning himself another late game, finally getting the better of some long rallies. His “c’mon” shout was his last cry of the match, with Riviere winning the final game to love to secure his win.
Riviere’s win backs up his title from 2025, being the only player to win the IRTPA Players’ Championship since its reincarnation in America. Riviere and Lumley will next be in action at the upcoming British Open, the last event in the 2025/26 World Race.
Match results:
12:00 PM: Camden Riviere (1) def John Lumley 6/3 6/1 6/3