Carisbrooke Tennis Club of Knighton finished equal third in the 2025 men’s national team tennis championships. The club, sponsored by Landmark Planning of Leicester, reached the finals for the top 8 U.K. clubs by winning the Midland League with a 100% record.
The finals were held at the West Hants club in Bournemouth. Seeded fourth, Carisbrooke had an easy quarter-final 6-0 win against Leeds Birkett.
Unfortunately, the semi final was a different matter, losing by the same score to David Lloyd Raynes Park, the number one seeds. With all four singles players ranked in the top 500 in the world, Raynes Park then went on to win the final against Roehampton.
The team comprised Stefan Cooper, Phoenix Weir, Dan Little, James McKinlay, Ryan Golesworthy and Alex Solonenko (Leics 2025 singles and doubles champion).
Coach Jack Simpson said, “ I was really proud of the lads, as well as the supporters who easily outnumbered all the other teams. We have come on tremendously in the last three years: now we need to make the step up to be national champions. Competing against the big boys of London: Raynes Park & Roehampton (the equivalent of Man City & Liverpool in football) who between them have won for the last five years will be difficult, but not impossible.”
And I was really proud to be associated with such cracking players, as I could never play at that standard myself. The fact that they were all genuine nice guys as well meant that they were also a pleasure to be around for the weekend.