The North American 2024 Rod Laver IC Junior Challenge The North American 2024 Rod Laver IC Junior Challenge
October 2025 The IC of Sweden win the 2025 Wallenberg Trophy This year Great Britain hosted the Wallenberg Trophy. Teams of 4-7 players from the ICs of Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and France played age group singles and mixed doubles. M45, M55, L35, L45. St Georges Hill was the venue, and what a venue, coupling tradition with the contemporary in every sense from the cuisine, the excellent staff and facilities made available to the international visitors. This year the Match Manager extended the format to make the event both more challenging and hence rewarding by playing three full days of tennis, with each team facing each other in a round robin format. Each match consisted of four singles (M45, M55, L35, L45) and two mixed doubles (M55/L45, M45/L35) rubbers, each with a championship tie break in the third set if required. Any matches resulting in 3-3 at the end of the day would be decided by a ‘free for all’ championship tie break. With only one point up for grabs from each match, the potential for high drama, tie break shootouts took the atmosphere to a daily fever pitch. The international teams were not taking this competition lightly, each fielding players with excellent current and previous world seniors rankings and a smorgasbord of quality ex-professionals. Day 1: Practice Crucial to doing well was arriving early for the practice day. The ‘all weather’ artificial clay courts required for the event would prove unusual for the international visitors, and familiarity counts for a lot. Introductions, welcome drinks and dinner in the evening, set the scene for a great three days of competition. Day 2: Match day 1 Great Britain v France 5-1 Sweden v Germany 4-2 Day 3: Match day 2 Great Britain v Sweden 3-4 (match tie break decider) France v Germany 2-4 Prior to the final day of matches, any one of three teams could still win the trophy. Only France was unable to take the overall victory, but could they stave off Sweden for Great Britain or Germany to win. Day 4: Match day 3 Great Britain v Germany 2-3 (reduced rubbers due to rain) Sweden v France 3-2 (reduced rubbers due to rain) Overall champions of the Wallenberg Trophy were Sweden. A congratulatory speech was made by Peter Harding, Captain of the IC of Great Britain and a trophy presented to take the place of the Wallenberg Trophy the German team should have brought with them but as they allegedly thought they would win it again it was not included in their luggage to bring to the fixture! Thanks go to Nicola Henesy who volunteered to be match court coordinator over the three days and ensuring the players were all in the right place at the appointed time, no mean feat! Previous Article Team USA triumphs at the IC of Canada’s 60th anniversary event Next Article The Robert Abdesselam Trophy returns to France Tags: Wallenberg Trophy Event Date TBC