ROBYN POWER
It was a historic week for St Anne’s Tennis Club as they hosted two international events from 20–28 March.
More than 200 players, along with their parents, coaches and supporters, descended on the club for the ITF U18 and Tennis Europe U14 tournaments, with St Anne’s becoming the first club in Ireland to achieve the milestone of hosting two competitions of this size simultaneously.
Chairperson of St Anne’s Tennis Club, Mark Sheridan, told The Munster Express that holding both competitions was an enormous organisational undertaking.
“It’s been a huge logistical job for the club, and for the employees of the club – Michelle Kirby, Neil Hanlon and Keith Murphy,” Mr Sheridan said.
“They’ve done a great job with the sporting committee to get it across the line, and it’s fantastic to see international players on the courts here in Waterford.”
Games began early each day throughout the week and ran late into the evening.
Finals in the ITF U18 tournament were held on Friday, 27 March, while the Tennis Europe U14 winners were awarded their trophies following finals on Saturday, 28 March.
Mr Sheridan told this newspaper that although the players are from different countries, they know each other well from competing on the international circuit.
“It’s interesting – a lot of the Irish players meet the Spanish, the Italians and the Belgians when they play in their countries.
“It’s a real circuit that this is part of. We have our competition here this weekend and it’s finishing up, and next week there’s an ITF U18 in Kilkenny.
“So there’ll be players there that have done both events. They’ll be back off to their own home countries – we had people flying out this morning,” he said.
Mayor of Waterford City and County, Councillor Seamus Ryan, was in attendance on Friday, 27 March, to award trophies to the U18 winners, along with CEO of Tennis Ireland, Kevin Quinn.
Mayor Ryan said: “I commend all the competitors who have taken part this week, along with their coaches, support teams, parents and spectators.
“I am honoured to join in celebrating such a milestone for both this club and for Irish tennis, with St Anne’s being the first club in Ireland to host two international tennis events in the same week.”
“This wonderful opportunity places both St Anne’s Tennis Club and Waterford itself on the international tennis stage.
“A huge congratulations to the winners and runners-up of this competition. To yourselves, along with the other competitors, I wish you every continued success for the future,” Mayor Ryan added.
It is not the first time that St Anne’s has demonstrated its ability to host international tournaments.
In 2023, the club successfully staged the Tennis Europe U14 competition, which welcomed 100 players from 38 countries, including competitors from Australia.
The club also hosted the ITF U18 tournament in 2025, which involved 120 players from 52 countries, including Europe, the United States and China.
Ireland’s Brody Lee Stafford took the boys’ singles title on Friday and told The Munster Express that he was delighted with the win, adding that his training regime involves four to five hours of practice every day.
Stafford, who plays with Castleknock Tennis Club in Dublin, said he fell in love with the sport when he was six.
Elsewhere in the competition, Ireland’s Maja Trojanowska took the girls’ singles title following a win over the United Kingdom’s Alice Sharp.
It was another victory for Ireland in the U18 boys’ doubles final, with Joseph McLaughlin and Andrew Schwer defeating the Netherlands’ Mats Jutte and Italy’s Federica Sartori.
Alice Sharp and Hanna Augustynska won the girls’ doubles final.
In the U14 finals on Saturday, the Netherlands’ Diane Franssen defeated Ireland’s Aryia Pringle Quinn in a tightly fought three-set girls’ singles final.
Belgium’s Victor Marchal took the boys’ singles title with victory over the UK’s Tomas Gabor.
St Anne’s will now look towards the upcoming Inter-Firms Festival of Tennis, which gets underway on Monday, 4 May 2026.
The festival, which has been running since 1984, is a fortnight of activity, entertainment and social occasions for players and non-players alike.
It is open to groups from businesses, schools, organisations, or any group of two men and two women who wish to take part.
More information can be found by emailing info@stannestennis.com.
