For Budaörsi Sport Club, hosting Stage 1 of the ETTU Champions League Women 2026/27 will mean much more than three days of top-level European competition. From 28 to 30 August, the event will bring together the club’s European ambitions, its home supporters and the celebration of the 50th anniversary of its Table Tennis Department. Eight teams will gather at the Budaörs City Sports Hall, with 12 matches played over three days. The teams are divided into two groups of four, with the two group winners progressing to the next stage of the Champions League, while the remaining clubs will continue their European season in the Europe Cup. For the hosts, it will be the biggest international table tennis event they have staged in terms of both the number of participating teams and the level of competition. The home supporters will have the opportunity to see Budaörsi Sport Club at 16:30 on each of the three competition days. The nine-time Hungarian champions and 2024 Europe Cup winners will be represented by Dóra MADARÁSZ, Leila IMRE, Nóra DOHOCZKI, Emma SZOSZNYÁK, Liza MUSKÓ and Emma VÁRADI, with Péter BACHMAN leading the team as coach. There is another significant milestone behind Budaörs’ appearance this season. The club is entering its 24th consecutive season in European club competitions, a remarkable run achieved throughout that period with Hungarian players. “For Budaörsi Sport Club, hosting the Champions League is both a major sporting occasion and a celebration. We want to make the most of playing at home, enjoy the support from the stands and turn the last weekend of August into a real table tennis celebration together with our supporters,” the organisers said. The timing makes the occasion particularly special. The Champions League weekend coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Budaörsi Sport Club Table Tennis Department, adding another dimension to an already important week for the club. The anniversary will be marked on 27 August, on the eve of the Champions League action, with a special event celebrating five decades of the department’s history, achievements and community. A jubilee publication is also being prepared, while commemorative plaques will be presented to people who have played significant roles in the department over the years. “This is a special chapter in the history of our club. Alongside welcoming some of Europe’s leading teams to Budaörs, we have the opportunity to celebrate 50 years of our Table Tennis Department and the people who have helped build it,” the organisers highlighted. The club also wants the occasion to reach beyond the competition tables. Activities are planned to give local residents an opportunity to try table tennis themselves, bringing the sport closer to the Budaörs community while the Champions League is taking place.
Strong Europe Cup Contenders Set for Champions League Women Stage 1 in Budaörs
The road to the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women title begins in Budaörs this week, with eight clubs ready to start their journey in Stage 1 from 28 to 30 August. Over three days of competition, the teams will battle for the two available places in Stage 2, with host Budaörsi Sport Club looking to make home advantage count in a strong and competitive field. The two Stage 1 group winners will progress to Stage 2, where they will join the six directly qualified clubs to form one group of eight teams. Stage 2 will be played as a single round-robin over seven rounds, with each club facing every other team once. The three-day competition will be played at the BVUSS (Budaörs Városi Sportcsarnok Uszoda és Strand), with four matches scheduled each day at 11:00, 13:30, 16:30 and 19:00. Group A features Austria’s Linz AG Froschberg the Champions League winners in 2013, Poland’s PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow, Spain’s MIRÓ Ganxets and Croatia’s STK Dr. Časl. Linz arrives in Budaörs with particularly strong memories of last season’s European campaign. The Austrian side went all the way to the Europe Cup title, overcoming Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca in the quarter-finals and MIRÓ Ganxets in the semi-finals before defeating ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari in the final. MIRÓ Ganxets also enjoyed an impressive run, reaching the semi-finals. The Spanish side overcame STK Dr. Časl in the quarter-finals before their campaign was stopped by eventual champions Linz. That recent history adds extra interest to Group A, with three of its four teams having featured in the closing stages of last season’s Europe Cup. Linz and MIRÓ Ganxets will meet again on Saturday in a repeat of last season’s semi-final, while the opening day will also bring Linz and STK Dr. Časl together after both were part of the Europe Cup quarter-final line-up. The group opens on Friday with PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow facing MIRÓ Ganxets at 11:00, followed by Linz AG Froschberg against STK Dr. Časl at 13:30. Group B brings together Italy’s ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari, Czech club SKST Plus Hodonin, host Budaörsi Sport Club and Spain’s Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca. Quattro Mori was one of the standout teams in last season’s Europe Cup. The Italian club overcame Fenerbahce Sports Club in the quarter-finals before beating SKST Plus Hodonin in the semi-finals. Their run ended only in the title contest, where Linz AG Froschberg claimed the trophy. Hodonin therefore arrives with a Europe Cup semi-final appearance behind it, having reached the last four after overcoming TTC Novi Sad in the quarter-finals. Son Cladera also reached the quarter-finals, where the Spanish side was stopped by eventual champions Linz AG Froschberg. That means Quattro Mori, Hodonin and Son Cladera all return to European action after reaching at least the last eight of the Europe Cup, promising a demanding challenge for host Budaörsi Sport Club. The group will also feature a rematch of last season’s Europe Cup semi-final between Quattro Mori and Hodonin on Sunday. The hosts begin their campaign on Friday at 16:30 against SKST Plus Hodonin, before Quattro Mori and Son Cladera meet at 19:00. Budaörs then faces Quattro Mori on Saturday before closing the group against Son Cladera on Sunday. The final day will begin with STK Dr. Časl against MIRÓ Ganxets at 11:00, followed by Linz against PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow at 13:30. Budaörs and Son Cladera will meet at 16:30 before Quattro Mori and Hodonin bring the Stage 1 programme to a close at 19:00. With the reigning Europe Cup champions, last season’s runners-up and both other semi-finalists all present in Budaörs, the opening stage of the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women promises three days of high-level European club action.
Montreux to Host Europe Top 16 Cup in 2028
The ETTU Executive Board has awarded the 2028 Europe Top 16 Cup to Swiss Table Tennis, with the event set to be staged in Montreux, Switzerland. “We are delighted to be back to Montreux for another edition of the Top 16 Europe Cup. Swiss Table Tennis has proved they are a very reliable organiser for several years. ETTU is looking forward for another unforgettable edition of the Top 16 Cup,” said ETTU President Pedro MOURA. By now, Montreux and the Europe Top 16 have built a special relationship. The Swiss city first welcomed the competition in 2018 and has since hosted it in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The only break came in 2021. „STT and LOC are delighted to have once again been entrusted by the ETTU Executive Board to organise the Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux. We will do our utmost to meet the expectations of the ETTU, the players and the spectators once again, and to raise the 10th edition of this prestigious table tennis event to an even higher standard“, said STT President Freddy OSWALD. „Montreux on the beautiful Lake Geneva will host the event between mid-February and early March 2028. The definitive date will be announced no earlier than the end of 2026. The LOC will do everything in its power to enhance the event through various measures, including a change of venue to the recently refurbished 2m2c”. With Montreux already confirmed as host for 2027, the latest allocation ensures that the familiar setting on the shores of Lake Geneva will welcome Europe’s leading players once again in 2028. It will be the tenth time Montreux has hosted the event. The competition itself has more than half a century of history. It was first staged in Zadar in 1971, initially as the Europe Top 12, before later expanding into the Europe Top 16 and becoming one of the highlights of the European table tennis calendar.
Young Umpires Project Makes Its Mark at EYC in Gondomar
The Young Umpires Project (YUP) once again proved its value at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar, bringing together a strong group of young officials and providing them with opportunities to learn, exchange experiences and build connections within the European umpiring community. A total of 33 young umpires, approximately 30 years of age or younger, from 12 ETTU Member Associations were nominated and selected to officiate at the Championships. They represented 42 per cent of the entire umpire group, underlining the significant presence of the new generation of officials at one of ETTU’s major events. As part of the initiative, the ETTU Umpires and Referees Committee (URC) organised four development activities before and during the Championships. The programme began with a three-hour online training session on 28 June, followed by a full-day workshop in Gondomar on 9 July. On 11 July, the YUP participants gathered for a welcome meeting, where they were greeted by ETTU Vice-President Ina JOZEPSONE. Her presence underlined the importance ETTU places on the Young Umpires Project and the continued development of the next generation of match officials. The programme concluded with a social evening and team-building activity on 16 July, designed to strengthen connections and encourage networking among the young umpires. Hanspeter WOERNER, Mircea STEFF, Decio FAUSTINO, Emily KNUTSSON and Asko RASINEN hosted the evening, sharing stories from their careers, memorable moments from major events and some of the more unusual and entertaining experiences they have encountered along the way. Beyond technical education, the activities in Gondomar highlighted another important element of the project – giving young officials the opportunity to meet their peers, exchange experiences and become part of a wider European umpiring network. With 33 young umpires involved in the European Youth Championships, the initiative once again demonstrated ETTU’s ability to attract a new generation of officials. The experience in Gondomar also reinforced the importance of combining education and practical experience with networking and social interaction as part of their development.
CAMPAGNA and GOMEZ Complete Golden Doubles on Final Day in Riga
Italy’s Pietro CAMPAGNA and Spain’s Carmen GOMEZ emerged as the standout performers on the final day of the 2026 JOOLA Europe Youth Series Riga Open, with both completing a remarkable U13 and U15 singles double. CAMPAGNA crowned his campaign with a dramatic comeback victory over Alexander MALOV in the U15 Boys’ Singles final after earlier claiming the U13 title, while GOMEZ followed her U13 Girls’ Singles triumph by taking gold in the U15 category. The final day also brought doubles titles for Motiejus ADAMONIS and Jimi KOIVUMAKI in U15 Boys, Filip AROSELL and Sigge Sang LEIGERT in U13 Boys, and Kamilla KADAR and Jiali LU in U13 Girls. In the U15 Boys’ Singles, CAMPAGNA completed his remarkable double by fighting back from two games down against Spain’s Alexander MALOV to prevail 3-2 in a dramatic final. MALOV dominated the opening game 11-3 and moved 2-0 ahead with an 11-9 win in the second. CAMPAGNA refused to let the match slip away, responding 11-7 and 11-9 to force a decider. The fifth game went down to the wire, with the Italian eventually completing his comeback at 12-10. MALOV took silver, while Sweden’s Joel ISAKSSON and Finland’s Jimi KOIVUMAKI earned bronze. In the semi-finals, MALOV defeated ISAKSSON in straight games, 11-8, 11-9, 14-12, while CAMPAGNA was equally convincing against KOIVUMAKI, winning 11-4, 11-7, 11-7. Earlier, CAMPAGNA had secured his first gold of the day in the U13 Boys’ Singles. The Italian was in control throughout the final against Poland’s Ignacy UTYLSKI, winning 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 for a 3-0 victory. His route to the title had included a much tougher semi-final against Montenegro’s Milan VUCETIC. CAMPAGNA raced into a 2-0 lead before VUCETIC fought back to force a deciding game. The Italian responded emphatically, taking the fifth 11-2 to advance with a 3-2 victory. In the other semi-final, UTYLSKI recovered after losing the opening game to Germany’s Jonathan KILIAN and won the next three for a 3-1 success. VUCETIC and KILIAN took bronze. Carmen GOMEZ matched CAMPAGNA’s achievement by completing her own U13 and U15 singles double. In the U15 Girls’ Singles final, the Spaniard defeated Lithuania’s Emilia PSCOLOVSKA 3-1. GOMEZ edged the opening game 12-10 before PSCOLOVSKA responded in an equally tight second, 13-11. From there, GOMEZ took command, winning the next two games 11-6, 11-6 to secure her second singles title of the day. PSCOLOVSKA had reached the final after a five-game battle against Spain’s Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO. CARRASCO VIEITO moved 2-1 ahead after taking the third game 15-13, but PSCOLOVSKA responded by winning the next two 11-9 and 11-7. In the other semi-final, GOMEZ beat compatriot Celia VALPUESTA 3-0. CARRASCO VIEITO and VALPUESTA secured bronze. GOMEZ had already celebrated gold in an all-Spanish U13 Girls’ Singles final, overcoming Julia FERNANDEZ 3-1. GOMEZ took the opening game 11-9 before FERNANDEZ responded by the same score. From that point, GOMEZ took charge, winning the next two games 11-6 and 11-7 to seal the title. In the semi-finals, GOMEZ overcame Lithuania’s Kaja TVOROGAL in straight games. After a tight opening game that the Spaniard won 12-10, she maintained control to complete a 3-0 victory. FERNANDEZ also progressed without dropping a game, beating Lithuania’s Eva CHALKOVSKYTE 11-7, 11-7, 11-8. TVOROGAL and CHALKOVSKYTE took bronze. In the U15 Boys’ Doubles final, Lithuania’s Motiejus ADAMONIS and Finland’s Jimi KOIVUMAKI overcame Poland’s Beniamin KUROWSKI and Mikolaj PILCH 3-1. ADAMONIS and KOIVUMAKI took the opening game 11-8 before the Polish pair responded 11-5. The Lithuanian-Finnish combination then regained control, taking the next two games 11-8 and 11-6 to secure the title. KUROWSKI and PILCH had prevailed in a five-game semi-final against Spain’s Irei GOMEZ and Alexander MALOV. The Spanish pair twice moved ahead, but KUROWSKI and PILCH responded on both occasions before taking the decider 11-7 for a 3-2 victory. In the other semi-final, ADAMONIS and KOIVUMAKI produced a commanding performance to beat Poland’s Maksymilian KSIAZEK and Krystian PYTKO 3-0. GOMEZ and MALOV, and KSIAZEK and PYTKO, earned bronze. Sweden’s Filip AROSELL and Sigge Sang LEIGERT produced another commanding performance in the U13 Boys’ Doubles final, defeating Montenegro’s Uros MRKAJIC and Milan VUCETIC 3-0. The Swedish pair won 11-7, 11-8, 11-2 to take gold without dropping a game in either the semi-final or final. AROSELL and LEIGERT had powered past Spain’s Daniel CASQUERO and Pablo MARTINEZ 3-0 in the semi-finals. The other semi-final went all the way to the deciding game, with MRKAJIC and VUCETIC twice coming from a game behind against Greece’s Nikolaos ALEXIDIS and Theofanis MARKOULAKIS before completing the comeback with an 11-6 win in the fifth. CASQUERO and MARTINEZ, and ALEXIDIS and MARKOULAKIS, finished with bronze. Finland also had reason to celebrate as Kamilla KADAR and Jiali LU captured the U13 Girls’ Doubles title. They defeated Lithuania’s Karina MILTO and Kaja TVOROGAL 3-1 in the final. The Finnish pair won the opener 11-8, and although MILTO and TVOROGAL levelled the contest, KADAR and LU responded by taking the next two games 11-7 and 11-8. Their semi-final had provided one of the closest battles of the doubles competition. Spain’s Julia FERNANDEZ and Carmen GOMEZ twice moved ahead, but KADAR and LU responded each time before edging the deciding game 13-11 for a 3-2 victory. In the other semi-final, MILTO and TVOROGAL overcame the Czech-Spanish combination of Tereza BILOVA and Lola URIA 3-1. Three of the four games were decided by just two points, with the Lithuanian pair holding their nerve to take the final two games 12-10, 12-10. FERNANDEZ and GOMEZ, and BILOVA and URIA, completed the podium with bronze medals. Photos by Rēzija Meļķe
CARRASCO VIEITO and VALPUESTA Complete Perfect Run to Claim U15 Girls Doubles Crown in Riga
Spain’s Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO and Celia VALPUESTA claimed the U15 Girls Doubles title at the 2026 JOOLA Europe Youth Series Riga Open after completing the final group with a perfect record. The Spanish pair won all three of their matches without dropping a game, finishing top of the standings with three victories. CARRASCO VIEITO and VALPUESTA opened with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-8) victory over Anastasija ZIBUNOVA of Latvia and Emilia PSCOLOVSKA of Lithuania, who ultimately finished second. The champions continued their impressive run with another straight-games success, beating Latvia’s Airita BARSUKOVA and Marija IZULENA 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-8). They completed their unbeaten campaign in equally convincing fashion against the Netherlands’ Zoe SCHUTTE and Joes SLAKHORST, winning 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-9) to secure first place. ZIBUNOVA and PSCOLOVSKA recovered strongly from their opening defeat to finish runners-up with two wins and one loss. They beat BARSUKOVA and IZULENA 3-1 (11-13, 11-8, 11-4, 11-6) before overcoming SCHUTTE and SLAKHORST in straight games, 11–7, 11–4, 11–9. SCHUTTE and SLAKHORST finished third after recording one victory, a 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-13) success over BARSUKOVA and IZULENA, who completed the group in fourth position.
Latvia/Lithuania and Spain Celebrate Mixed Team Glory in Riga
The first titles have been decided at the 2026 JOOLA Europe Youth Series Riga Open, with Latvia/Lithuania 1 completing a perfect run to claim the U15 Mixed Team crown and Spain emerging victorious after a thrilling U13 final. Latvia/Lithuania 1 defeated Spain/Finland 15–5, while Spain had to dig deep to overcome Sweden 1 17–15 in a closely fought battle for U13 gold. See pictures here. In the U15 Mixed Team final, Latvia/Lithuania 1 completed an unbeaten campaign with an impressive 15–5 victory over Spain/Finland. The combination of Anastasija ZIBUNOVA, Emilia PSCOLOVSKA, Kirils DEMSOVS and Motiejus ADAMONIS had already beaten Spain/Finland 21-16 in the final round of the group stage. When the two sides met again with the title at stake, Latvia/Lithuania 1 produced an even more convincing performance. They took control from the opening mixed doubles, with PSCOLOVSKA and ADAMONIS overcoming Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO and Irei GOMEZ in straight games, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6. PSCOLOVSKA maintained the momentum against Celia VALPUESTA, recording another 3–0 victory (11-9, 11-9, 11-7). ADAMONIS then added another important success against Joel KOIVUMAKI. After a dominant opening game, the Lithuanian was tested in the following three, but prevailed 3-1 (11-1, 9-11, 14-12, 12-10). ZIBUNOVA further extended the advantage with an impressive straight-games victory over CARRASCO VIEITO, winning 11-8, 11-9, 11-8. Spain/Finland responded through GOMEZ, who overcame DEMSOVS 3-1 (11-8, 12-10, 6-11, 11-3), but Latvia/Lithuania 1 had already established a decisive advantage. With the overall points system determining the outcome, the remaining matches did not need to be completed in full as the champions reached the required mark for a 15-5 victory. Spain claimed the U13 Mixed Team title at the after overcoming Sweden 1 17-15 in a thrilling final. Spain reached the title match after beating Sweden 2 19-13 in the semi-finals, while Sweden 1 had to work even harder for their place in the final, edging Lithuania 1 17-16. The final lived up to expectations, with the two teams trading blows throughout before Spain eventually prevailed by the narrowest of margins. Sweden 1 made the better start as Nikki HON and Filip AROSELL edged Carmen GOMEZ and Luca ROMERO in a five-game doubles battle. The Spanish pair twice came from behind, but HON and AROSELL dominated the deciding game 11-5 to win 3-2. Spain responded immediately through Julia FERNANDEZ, who beat Freja LJUNGBERG in straight games, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4. Sigge Sang LEIGERT then produced a fine comeback for Sweden against ROMERO. The Spaniard took the opening two games, but LEIGERT turned the match around to win the next three and secure a 3-2 victory (7-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8). GOMEZ brought Spain back with a convincing 3-0 success against HON, but Sweden responded once again through AROSELL, who defeated Daniel CASQUERO in straight games. The Spanish girls proved decisive as the contest developed. GOMEZ recorded her second singles victory with a 3-0 win over LJUNGBERG (11-3, 11-5, 12-10), while FERNANDEZ was equally impressive against HON, conceding only 11 points in a straight-games victory, 11-3, 11-6, 11-2. Sweden continued to apply pressure through their boys. LEIGERT beat CASQUERO 3-1, while AROSELL produced another commanding performance to overcome ROMERO 3-0 (11-9, 15-13, 11-2). However, Spain had collected enough points across the contest to reach the winning mark first and seal a dramatic 17-15 victory. The triumph completed an excellent U13 Mixed Team campaign for Spain, who had entered the competition as the No. 1 seeds with FERNANDEZ, GOMEZ, CASQUERO and ROMERO. After overcoming Sweden 2 in the semi-final, Spain held their nerve in an even tighter title contest to leave Riga with the U13 Mixed Team crown.
Mixed Team Drama Builds in Riga as U15 Final and U13 Semi-Finals Take Centre Stage
The mixed team competitions at the 2026 JOOLA Europe Youth Series Riga Open have reached their decisive stage, with the finalists confirmed in the Under 15 event and the Under 13 semi-final line-up set after two days of action in the Latvian capital. In the U15 Mixed Team event, Latvia/Lithuania 1 completed a perfect round-robin campaign to finish first and book their place in the final against Spain/Finland – the same opponents they defeated in the last round of the group stage. The top-seeded combination of Anastasija ZIBUNOVA, Emilia PSCOLOVSKA, Kirils DEMSOVS and Motiejus ADAMONIS won all five encounters and finished with 127 points. Latvia/Lithuania 1 established their position immediately on the opening day, beating Latvia/Lithuania 2 27-1, Latvia 27-4 and the Netherlands 27-4. They continued with a 25-12 victory over Latvia/Poland on Thursday before facing second seeds Spain/Finland in the final round. The first meeting between the two finalists produced plenty of drama before Latvia/Lithuania 1 prevailed 21-16. Spain/Finland made the stronger start as Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO and Irei GOMEZ beat ZIBUNOVA and DEMSOVS in five games in the opening mixed doubles. However, PSCOLOVSKA responded with a 3-1 victory over Celia VALPUESTA, before ADAMONIS overcame Joel KOIVUMAKI by the same margin. CARRASCO VIEITO kept Spain/Finland firmly in contention with a straight-games victory over ZIBUNOVA and later came from two games down to edge PSCOLOVSKA 3-2. VALPUESTA also prevailed in five games against ZIBUNOVA. Latvia/Lithuania 1, however, found the answers through their boys. DEMSOVS beat GOMEZ 3–1, ADAMONIS recorded a straight-games win over GOMEZ and DEMSOVS closed his singles programme with a 3-1 victory over KOIVUMAKI. Those results helped the top seeds secure the 21-16 overall victory and complete the group stage unbeaten. Spain/Finland, represented by CARRASCO VIEITO, VALPUESTA, GOMEZ and KOIVUMAKI, nevertheless comfortably secured second position with four victories and 103 points. Their only defeat came against Latvia/Lithuania 1. The Latvia finished third, followed by Netherlands in fourth, Latvia/Poland in fifth and Latvia/Lithuania 2 in sixth place. Now Latvia/Lithuania 1 and Spain/Finland will meet for a second time – this time with the U15 Mixed Team title at stake. In the U13 Mixed Team event, the group stage produced four semi-finalists, with Spain, Sweden 1, Sweden 2 and Lithuania 1 remaining in contention for the title. Spain produced an outstanding performance in the group stage, finishing first with five wins from five matches and 123 points. The top seeds went through the entire stage unbeaten, recording victories of 27-4, 27-2, 18-12, 24-10, 27-3. Sweden 1 also secured its place in the medal stage after finishing second in the group with four victories and one defeat, while Sweden 2 and Lithuania 1 emerged from the other group to complete the semi-final line-up. The first semi-final will see Spain face Sweden 2, while Sweden 1 will meet Lithuania 1 in the other contest. Both matches are scheduled for Thursday at 17:45, with Spain and Sweden 2 playing on Tables 3 and 4 and Sweden 1 and Lithuania 1 on Tables 1 and 2. The winners will advance to the U13 Mixed Team final on Friday at 18:30.
Young Talents Ready to Battle for Glory at JOOLA Europe Youth Series Riga Open
The 2026 JOOLA Europe Youth Series continues this week in Latvia, where the Riga Open will bring together promising young players from across Europe from 19 to 23 August. Organised by the Table Tennis Federation of Latvia under the authority of the European Table Tennis Union, the five-day event will feature competition in the Under 15 and Under 13 age categories, with mixed teams, boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles all on the programme. The matches will be staged at the Sport Hall of O. Kalpaks Riga folk-art primary school in Riga. The action begins on Wednesday with the group stages of the U15 and U13 mixed team events. The team competitions continue on Thursday, while the individual events get underway on Friday, leading towards the decisive matches over the weekend. The U15 Mixed Team competition features six teams. The combined Latvia/Lithuania 1 line-up of Anastasija ZIBUNOVA, Emilia PSCOLOVSKA, Kirils DEMSOVS and Motiejus ADAMONIS holds the No. 1 position. The Spain/Finland combination of Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO, Celia VALPUESTA, Irei GOMEZ and Joel KOIVUMÄKI is seeded second, while Latvia/Poland occupies the No. 3 position. The U15 Mixed Team event will be played initially in one round-robin group of six teams, with all nine matches played. The top two teams will progress to the Finals. In the U15 Boys’ Singles, Spain’s Alexander MALOV leads the seeding. Finland’s Jimi KOIVUMÄKI is No. 2, Sweden’s Joel ISAKSSON No. 3 and Italy’s Pietro CAMPAGNA No. 4, while Poland’s Mikolaj PILCH completes the top five. Lithuania’s Kaja TVOROGAL heads the U15 Girls’ Singles seeding, followed by Spain’s Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO and Carmen GOMEZ. Lithuania’s Emilia PSCOLOVSKA is seeded fourth and Spain’s Julia FERNANDEZ fifth. Home hopes will include Anastasija ZIBUNOVA, Latvia’s highest-seeded player at No. 6. In the U13 Mixed Team competition, Spain 1 starts from the top position with Julia FERNANDEZ, Carmen GOMEZ, Daniel CASQUERO and Luca ROMERO. Lithuania 1, represented by Karina MILTO, Kaja TVOROGAL, Rapolas PETRAUSKAS and Mindaugas STONYS, is seeded second. The combined Spain/Czechia team occupies the No. 3 position, ahead of Sweden 1 and Greece. A total of 12 teams will contest the U13 Mixed Team event, starting in two round-robin groups of six. The top two teams will progress to the A semifinals to compete for positions one to four, while the remaining teams move into the corresponding classification stages. The U13 Boys’ Singles field is headed by Italy’s Pietro CAMPAGNA. Spain’s Luca ROMERO is seeded second, Sweden’s Filip AROSELL third and Montenegro’s Milan VUČETIĆ fourth, with Daniel CASQUERO of Spain at No. 5. Spain occupies the first two positions in the U13 Girls’ Singles, with Carmen GOMEZ the top seed ahead of Julia FERNANDEZ. Lithuania’s Kaja TVOROGAL is No. 3, followed by Spain’s Lola URIA and Finland’s Kamilla KADAR. The individual programme also includes U15 and U13 boys’ and girls’ doubles, with the competition culminating on Sunday, 23 August. With some of Europe’s leading young players heading to the Latvian capital, the Riga Open promises five days of intense competition and another valuable international test for the continent’s next generation.
A New Season, New Stars and Familiar Rivals Await in the HYLO ETTU Champions League Men
The HYLO ETTU Champions League Men returns with an exceptional concentration of world-class talent. Eleven of the current Top 20 players in the World Ranking will compete for clubs in this season’s competition, underlining once again the extraordinary strength of Europe’s premier club event. World No. 2 Truls MOREGARD, No. 8 Hugo CALDERANO and No. 17 Patrick FRANZISKA will represent defending champions 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, while World No. 4 Félix LEBRUN and No. 10 Alexis LEBRUN lead the challenge of last season’s runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier. Borussia Düsseldorf will have World No. 11 QIU Dang and No. 20 Kanak JHA in their ranks, while GV Hennebont TT boasts three players inside the World Top 20, No. 12 WEN Ruibo, No. 16 Vladimir SIDORENKO and No. 19 Simon GAUZY. Completing the group of 11 is World No. 15 Darko JORGIC, who begins a new chapter with KS Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów. And those 11 names tell only part of the story. The new season brings together 24 of Europe’s leading clubs and an impressive collection of international stars in the battle for the continent’s most prestigious club title. There is no shortage of storylines before a ball has even been struck. The biggest transfer of the year has reshaped the balance of power. FAN Zhendong has joined Borussia Düsseldorf, strengthening the German giants’ already formidable squad alongside QIU, Anton KÄLLBERG and JHA. Düsseldorf enter the competition as the No. 2 seeds, determined to reclaim the trophy. Standing in their way are the defending champions and No. 1 seeds 1. FC Saarbrücken TT. Although the club lost FAN and JORGIC following last season’s triumph, the title holders still boast one of the strongest line-ups in the competition. MOREGARD, FRANZISKA and CALDERANO give Saarbrücken three players from the World Top 20, with Eduard IONESCU, Álvaro ROBLES and Korean international OH Junsung adding further quality and depth. GV Hennebont TT must also be counted among the genuine contenders for the title. The French club has assembled an exceptionally strong squad, with three World Top 20 players in WEN, SIDORENKO and GAUZY. Chinese player ZHOU currently ranked No. 26 in the world adding further strength to an already formidable line-up, Hennebont has both the quality and depth to challenge the very best teams in the competition. Last season’s runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier, seeded No. 4, will once again look to brothers Alexis and Félix LEBRUN to lead their challenge. Supported by Manav THAKAR, the French side will be aiming to go one step further after coming so close to the trophy in the 2026 final. Also among the leading contenders are No. 3 seeds KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki, featuring Tomislav PUCAR, Milosz REDZIMSKI and the vastly experienced Panagiotis GIONIS. Another intriguing storyline comes from No. 6 seeds KS Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów, where JORGIC begins a new chapter following his departure from Saarbrücken. The Slovenian will line up alongside compatriot Deni KOZUL and Austria’s Robert GARDOS. The competition begins with Stage 1, featuring the clubs seeded from No. 9 to No. 24. The 16 teams are divided into four groups of four, with each group played in a single round-robin format. The top two clubs from each group advance. Those eight qualifiers will then join the top eight seeded clubs in Stage 2, when the competition switches to the knockout format. Both the Round of 16 and the quarter-finals will be contested over home-and-away legs. The four quarter-final winners will secure their places at the prestigious HYLO Final Four, where the semi-finals and final will be decided over one weekend to crown the 2026/27 European club champions. With 11 of the world’s Top 20 players involved, Saarbrücken defending their crown, FAN beginning a new chapter in Düsseldorf, Hennebont fielding one of the strongest squads in the competition, the LEBRUN brothers looking to take Nîmes/Montpellier one step further and JORGIC embarking on a new challenge in Poland, all the ingredients are in place for another memorable HYLO ETTU Champions League Men season.
