World Race heats up as Champions Trophy returns
Defending champion absent leaves wide-open field chasing title
The eighth edition of the Real Tennis Champions Trophy will once again return to the Royal Tennis Court this July, with six of the world’s top eight players taking to the court in a wide-open field in the absence of defending champion John Lumley.
The two previous champions who are competing in the draw, Robert Fahey and Nick Howell, will play off in the first round. Fahey holds the better head-to-head record, but Howell came out champion in their most recent encounter — at the 2025 British Open. The winner will progress straight through to the semi-finals, while the loser will get a second chance, playing either Bryn Sayers or a qualifier in the second round. Such a match-up won’t be easy, with Sayers in excellent form having defeated Fahey in the final of the British Over 40’s Open at Seacourt in May and taken Howell to five sets at the Schochet Cup at Newport in June.
In the bottom half of the draw, Steve Virgona will play Ben Taylor-Matthews, a key stepping stone in the former’s attempt to qualify for the 2027 World Eliminators. Virgona trails Taylor-Matthews in the race for the fourth slot by 6,367 points, having reduced the deficit already following Virgona’s win over Taylor-Matthews in the quarter-final of the Schochet Cup. Virgona’s best-case scenario — an overall victory with Taylor-Matthews not winning a match — would see him pull back 5,350 points of the deficit, 84% of the points required. But should Taylor-Matthews win more points than Virgona, it would put him in pole position with three tournaments of the World Race remaining. Taylor-Matthews would back himself to do well, having made four previous Champions Trophy finals, despite having gone through the repechage draw on three of those occasions. The loser of Virgona and Taylor-Matthews will play either Robert Shenkman or a qualifier. Shenkman will be looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time, having been defeated by Taylor-Matthews in straight sets in the previous two editions.
Eight further players will attempt to join the top six via two qualifying groups, playing first-to-nine game sets. Group A is headlined by Vaughan Hamilton, who was two points away from qualifying in 2025 but fell to Darren Long. He comes into the competition in excellent form, having won the US Pro Singles Satellite, the Jesmond Dene Cup and the Category A Open in recent months. All three of his opponents will be making their Champions Trophy Qualifying debuts: Zak Eadle, Claire Fahey and Benedict Yorston. With the Royal Tennis Court being the third-widest court in the country, Fahey and Eadle will back themselves as they represent the only two courts that are even wider as the group promises plenty of tactical floor battles, given each player’s style.
Group B, however, features four of the most prolific dedans-hitters in the game, playing with the widest dedans in the country on a court that traditionally takes a railroad — and hence an attacking game — well. Lewis Williams holds the top seed in the group, but any of Nino Merola, Darren Long or Will Flynn could easily make the case as to why they would be the one to advance, especially given the shorter format that favours faster-starters.
Play will run from Tuesday 14th to Sunday 19th of July. Tickets are available from the Royal Tennis Court’s website (see here) for dedans or upper gallery tickets. A Hampton Court Palace entry ticket is not required for visitors to the tennis court unless they also wish to tour the grounds, as entry is via the security gate on Tennis Court Lane. Tourists and Hampton Court Palace ticket holders are welcome to view from the side galleries. Please note that the upper galleries are not suitable for people with mobility impairments as the historic nature of the building requires climbing a narrow staircase.
Champions Trophy draw:
Qualifying Group A:
Vaughan Hamilton
Zak Eadle
Claire Fahey
Benedict Yorston
Qualifying Group B:
Lewis Williams
Nino Merola
Darren Long
Will Flynn
First quarter-finals:
Match 1: Nick Howell (1) vs Robert Fahey (3)
Match 2: Bryn Sayers (6) vs Qualifier A or B
Match 3: Qualifier A or B vs Robert Shenkman (5)
Match 4: Steve Virgona (4) vs Taylor-Matthews (2)
Second quarter-finals:
Match 5: Loser Match 1 vs Winner Match 2
Match 6: Loser Match 4 vs Winner Match 3
Semi-finals:
Match 7: Winner Match 1 vs Winner Match 6
Match 8: Winner Match 4 vs Winner Match 5
Final:
Match 9: Winner Match 7 vs Winner Match 8