By Benjy Howard, Sport Deputy Editor and Ed Wallace, Sport Sub-Editor
Tennis is on the up. Thrilling events, rising stars, and an increasing roster of talented British players have all played a part in boosting the sport’s popularity in recent months, particularly in this country.
September saw Carlos Alcaraz win his sixth career Grand Slam (the name given to tennis’ four most prestigious tournaments) at the US Open, aged just 22. The precocious talent, who believed he played ‘perfectly’ in the final against Jannik Sinner, is already one of only four players to have won multiple Grand Slams on all three surfaces of grass, hard court, and clay.
Those two look set to play out a great, career-long rivalry after they produced one of the all-time great finals at Wimbledon in July - with battles like this being key drivers for raking in new viewerships and fans of the sport. At that same tournament, the highest number of British participants since 1984 competed in the men’s and women’s singles competitions.
Emma Raducanu, practically a global celebrity after her 2021 US Open win as a teenager, is regaining her previous form and confidence to become a serious threat for major titles; meanwhile, Jack Draper’s rapid rise has seen him break into the world top 10 rankings.
As the world of university sport heads into the 2025/26 season, this backdrop appears to provide the perfect platform for the University of Bristol Tennis Club (UBTC) to flourish. The UBTC Performance Captain, Leo Sassoon, hopes that they can harness this positive momentum and encourages interested students to reach out to any society member and try their hand at one of the training sessions.
The flexibility of playing tennis at Bristol is one of its major attractions, according to Leo: ‘the schedule is easy to balance with work and other commitments as there is a lot of freedom [in when you can play].’ As all students know, excess admin can be a real turn-off, so fortunately all that is necessary to play at the Coombe Dingle courts or to attend a lesson is to fill out a simple online form.
All that is necessary to play at the Coombe Dingle courts or attend a lesson is to fill out a simple online form.
Members have the opportunity to take part in sessions up to four times a week, in addition to Wednesday matches - which, unsurprisingly, are followed by the society’s weekly socials.
As ever with Bristol sports teams, UBTC have performed strongly in BUCS (British University and College Sport) competitions, ranking eighth in the country for 2024/25. The Bristol Women’s 1 team claimed first-place finishes in the Western Tier 1 and Premier South play-offs, rounding out a successful year for the whole club.
Above all else, Leo’s affirmation that the society’s ‘community feel and atmosphere at Coombe Dingle’ play an integral part in member enjoyment of tennis at Bristol paints an enticing image of a welcoming and successful club. And with the exciting current landscape across the sport as a whole, any newcomers will have chosen just the right time to join.
Featured image: Instagram @uniofbristoltennis
Will you be picking up a racket this year?
