The ETTU Congress in Ljubljana approved significant changes to the European competition structure, including a new championship event, revised youth formats and additional qualification opportunities for players at senior level.
The Congress approved an experimental format for the team events at the 2027 European Youth Championships, covering the Under 15 and Under 19 Boys’ and Girls’ categories.
Under the new system, team results will be determined by the number of individual games won rather than individual matches. The existing team composition will remain unchanged, with two players in the Under 15 categories and three in the Under 19 categories. Each individual match will consist of three games, producing a total of 15 games per team match. All 15 games will be played during the group stage, while knockout matches will conclude as soon as one team reaches eight games. The format will be tested in 2027 and evaluated after the Championships.
Further changes will bring greater consistency to European youth competitions. All singles matches at the European Youth Championships, including the knockout rounds, will now be played over the best of five games instead of seven. The same change applies to the Europe Youth Top 10 in both the Under 15 and Under 19 categories, reducing the physical demands on young players.
The Europe Youth Top 10 will also introduce a revised qualification system, reflecting the decision to move the tournament to the spring. Qualification will be based on the relevant European Under 15 and Under 19 rankings published at least seven weeks before the event, rather than the previously specified August rankings.
In addition, the reigning Europe Youth Top 10 Under 15 champion will receive direct entry into the following Under 19 event. The change recognises the achievement of the Under 15 winner and supports the transition to the higher age category.
Another important development concerns the pathway from youth to senior competition. The winner of the Under 19 singles event at the Europe Youth Top 10 will receive an automatic place at the following European Championships (Individual Events), in addition to the existing quota allocated to their Member Association. This opportunity complements the automatic places already granted to the winner, runner-up and losing semi-finalists of the European Under 21 Championships singles events.
At senior level, the Europe Top 16 Cup will introduce up to two ETTU wild cards in each event, allowing players whose current level may not yet be reflected in the European Rankings to participate. The overall field will remain unchanged at 22 players per event, with the number of ranking-based places adjusted accordingly.
The amended regulations also clarify that if the reigning European Champion and the previous Europe Top 16 Cup winner are the same player, the vacant place will be allocated to the next highest-ranked eligible player.
Together, these decisions aim to modernise European competitions, establish more consistent youth formats and strengthen the pathway from junior success to senior international competition.
Photo: Henk HOMMES
