Adults vs Juniors 2026 — The “Laver Cup of Athlone”
Sunday, 13th September 2026 was the best day on the Athlone Tennis Club calendar — our Adults vs Juniors event, better known around the club as The Laver Cup of Athlone.
Adults in White, Juniors in Black
Once a season, every adult and junior member of the club is invited to play in this one-day team event, adults against juniors, with the whole club’s bragging rights on the line. Adults took to the courts in white, juniors in black, and matches were arranged at every level, carefully paired so the tennis was competitive from court one to the last court on site.
Every court was in action, including the small courts, to fit in as many players and matches as possible — the whole club on court together at the same time is not a sight you get very often!
Every court in use, adults in white and juniors in black, ready to go.
Time-Boxed Tennis — Every Point Counts
The format keeps things sharp: matches are time-boxed, so every single point played matters towards the overall score. It always makes for a tense, high-intensity afternoon — and this year was no exception.
White against black, level for level, right across the club.
Down to a Decider — Adults Win 7–5
It's normally tight, but this year it went right to the wire. With every court finished, the two sides were level, sending the whole event to a champions' decider: first to 5 points. The Adults put forward Ronan Mehigan, the Juniors backed César Leal — and after a real ding-dong battle, the Adults came out on top, 7–5, to retain the Laver Cup of Athlone for another year.
Well beaten, not out — the Juniors already plotting their comeback.
Thank You to Everyone Who Played
A huge thank you to every adult and junior member who came out and played — it's what makes this the best day of the club year. Congratulations to the Adults on retaining the Laver Cup of Athlone, and to our Juniors: enjoy the off-season, because you'll need to come back stronger next year if you want to steal it back!
See more photos from the day in our Gallery →