Harvard and Yale dominate at the Rye Tennis Tournament 2024

Held between August 2 and 5, the ten talented young players from Harvard and Yale playing at the tournament this year pushed the standard up to an even higher level than usual.

Since the early 1960s, the Harvard and Yale teams have attended the Annual Rye Tennis Tournament every four years before playing the Prentice & Seabright Cup – an international intercollegiate tennis competition held alternately between the All England Lawn Tennis Club and Seabright Lawn Tennis Club in New Jersey.

The Club’s relationship with Havard and Yale dates back to when a number of the people who played at the Annual Rye Tennis Tournament or belonged to the Club were, and some are still, on the committee of the Prentice Cup.

Both the men’s and ladies’ open singles, played on Monday 4th August, were dominated by the Harvard and Yale teams. Danny Milavsky from Harvard beat Theo Dean from Yale in a close match which finished in a tie break. In the ladies’ singles Stephanie Yakoff from Harvard fought hard to beat Shyla Aggarwal from Yale.

Hurlingham’s Max McAlistair teamed up with Danny Milavsky from Harvard to narrowly beat Camden Hill’s Dusan Miljevic and Henry Moore in the final of the mens’ open doubles.

The ladies’ doubles final was another contest between members of London’s Cumberland Club. This time Marine Beugre-Guyot and her partner Emanuela Falletti beat Caroline Lynch & Muriel Wacker.

In the open mixed doubles the Americans dominated again with Shyla Aggarval of Yale and her partner Ryan Mcelvenny beating Henry Moore and Caroline Lynch from the Cumberland Club in a tie break.

In the B groups and Handicap sections, designed to cater for a much broader range of ability, the winners included Rye Lawn Tennis Club members Sarah Walsh and Phil Harper who beat Anna Gorringe and her son Billy.

Councillor Andy Stuart, Mayor of Rye and his wife Nicky who came down to the Club to watch the finals says: “We spent a lovely afternoon at Rye Tennis Club watching the men's and women's finals: the quality of the tennis was truly outstanding. And the warmth of everyone I met from the Club matched the weather! We were made to feel most welcome.”

Players and spectators alike enjoyed meeting many of the Club’s new sponsors over the weekend.

Shepherd Neame’s Spitfire Lager and Whitstable Bay Blonde lager, served from their Spitfire branded Land Rover Defender, went down so well the area manager Neil Reynolds had to source some more stock half way through the weekend. For those who preferred a glass of wine, there were six available to try at the Oxney Organic Estates VW Transporter Van.

In the marquee, the local family-owned sports retailer Wisdens were doing a brisk trade alongside the NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenderden & Whitfield stand and Dermatology Consulting.

Up in the clubhouse Rye Lawn Tennis Club member, Dr Sarah Walsh was doing skin checks, Kerry Best from Dermatology Consulting was giving free 30-minute skin consultations, alongside nutritionist Georgina Stephenson and osteopath Nick Griffith.

Clare Crawshay-Williams, a Club volunteer responsible for sponsorship, marketing and communications, said: “We are immensely grateful to all our sponsors for supporting the Club. Their involvement will not only be instrumental in helping us maintain our exceptional facilities for members and guests, but also enable the Club to play an even bigger part in the local community."

Clare Crawshay-Williams

[email protected]

07703 599 362

Addendum

Rye Lawn Tennis Club boasts top-notch facilities designed to cater to racquet sports enthusiasts. Our amenities include:

· 8 grass tennis courts: Perfectly manicured and maintained to provide an authentic and traditional playing experience.

· 3 artificial clay tennis courts: Offering a unique playing surface that combines the benefits of clay with low maintenance requirements.

· 2 padel courts: Providing an exciting and fast-paced game that is rapidly growing in popularity worldwide.

· 2 squash courts: Ideal for members who enjoy this dynamic and intense sport.

Harvard, Yale and The Prentice Cup

Every year we invite over 1,000 people to our Annual Tennis Tournament and receive over 250 entries. The quality of our grass courts, and immaculate tournament means we attract high-level players from London and all over the world, including, every four years, the Harvard and Yale students who go on to play for the Prentice and Seabright Cups held at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in August.

The Prentice Cup is an international intercollegiate tennis competition between the universities of Harvard and Yale and Oxford and Cambridge. The first match was played in 1921. Since then, matches have been held every two years, alternating between the All England Lawn Tennis Club (Wimbledon) and Seabright, USA. For much of the tournament’s history, only men participated. This changed in 2024 when competition between the women was introduced for The Seabright Cup.

This relationship with Havard and Yale dates back to when a number of the people who played at our tournament and/ or belonged to Rye Lawn Tennis Club - Tony Billington, Barry Weatherill, Chris Gorringe and Robert Dolman - were, and some are still, on the committee of the Prentice Cup.

So, when looking for a venue as a warm up for the match in the UK, Rye was chosen. Now, every four years, a both teams from Harvard and Yale come as part of their UK tour to play tennis at the Annual Tennis Tournament before they play their matches at the AELTC against Oxford and Cambridge.

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Sponsors

Mr Fogg’s

Mr Fogg’s are well-loved for their unique, eclectic and immersive hospitality concepts across London including the Mayfair based Mr Fogg’s Residence, the first of the Mr Fogg’s Family to open in 2013, modelled on the actual home of Jules

Verne’s character Phileas Fogg, Mr Fogg’s Tavern, a Victorian-inspired pub in Covent Garden, and Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour, which serves over 300 gins opened in 2015.

2018 saw the launch of three new concepts; Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals, a Fitzrovia-based floral oasis, Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration, just minutes away from Charing Cross station and Mr Fogg’s Apothecary, located opposite Claridge's. Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers and Mr Fogg’s Hat Tavern & Gin Club in Soho launched in 2023 with Liverpool Street’s Mr Fogg’s City Tavern joining this year.

NFU Mutual, Ashford, Tenterden and Whitfield

The Club’s provider of insurance, NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield, is another of the Club’s headline sponsors.

NFU Mutual has recently been voted Which? insurance brand of the year for the third year in a row. At NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield, we pride ourselves on offering a local, personal service and we remain ever invested in our customers and their interests.

NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield provides a range of different insurance covers including business insurance, home insurance, motor insurance, landlord insurance, commercial vehicle insurance and farm insurance.

Shepherd Neame

Based in Faversham, Kent for over 300 years, Shepherd Neame is probably best known for great British classic ales such as Spitfire Amber.

Its diverse portfolio includes the Bear Island and Whitstable Bay collections as well as the premium Thai lager Singha brewed under licence.

The independent family business boasts an award-winning visitor centre and 300 pubs and hotels throughout London and the South East.

Cox & Sons

Formed in 2003, Cox & Sons Construction Ltd was started by Barry Cox who left a large national contractor to form his own business having worked only for them since leaving college.

Barry has gained a wealth of experience from operating as a project surveyor with his previous employer, working on projects from constructing unique high-quality housing to building schools, hospitals, universities and running large maintenance contracts.

Cox & Sons has continued to grow and has now been operating for over 20 years. The growth of the business has been down to recommendation and repeat business.

Skinners of Rye

Skinners of Rye is a long-established car dealership and servicing specialist with a reputation for excellent and friendly customer care.

They offer an extensive range of cars at competitive prices with helpful and friendly car experts on hand to assist you during your car-buying journey. Their aim is to make sure their customers get the used car theywant at the price they want to pay.

Their servicing department now spans over 17 ramps, enabling them to provide a fast and efficient service for our customers form their purpose built, state of the art premises in Rye Harbour.

Camber Holiday Cottages

For over 20 years, Camber Holiday Cottages has been building a meticulously curated and diverse collection of stylish properties in the area, run by Georgina and Richard Holt.

Their properties in Camber, Winchelsea and Pett Level are ideally situated within walking distance of the breathtaking beach, while their Rye properties offer the choice of a riverside location or the town centre.

Each of their houses exudes its own unique style, and charm. This ensures that no two houses are alike, enabling them to cater for individual preferences and requirements.

All Camber Holiday Cottage customers have special access to play tennis, padel or squash at the Club during their stay.

During the Annual Tennis Tournament, the Holts create bespoke packages enabling players to stay at their properties over the long weekend.

JD Architects

JDA was formed by Jonathan Dunn in 1984, designing commercial and residential schemes for international clients including The Taj Hotel Group Bombay and The Millennium Group.

Jonathan started his career working for Zaha Hadid on international projects

including the winning design for The Peak competition in Hong Kong. His work from this period has been published and his drawings and paintings exhibited at the MOMA New York.

Now based in Rye, Jonathan works on private residential schemes and the redevelopment of existing urban sites in rural England and Central London.

Local projects have included the Kino Cinema and The George Hotel.

Oxney Organic

Oxney is an award-winning organic vineyard and winery outside Rye, producing highly acclaimed sparkling and still wines.

They are open for tastings Tuesdays-Sundays and for tours and picnic lunches on Saturdays.

You can also stay the night in a number of properties from shepherd’s huts to barns and farm houses.

Dermatology Consulting

Dermatology Consulting not only focuses on skin problems such as skin cancer and rashes but also the cosmetic aspects of skin care.

Dr Farrell’s approach to cosmetic dermatology and skin rejuvenation is to combine treatments – such as skincare products, lasers and fillers – which complement each other to achieve the optimal result.

Griffith Practice

Using osteopathy and homeopathy, Nick Griffith can treat all manner of complaints including back pain, neck pain and joint pain.

Georgina Stephenson

Georgina is a qualified nutritional therapist registered with the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners and the General Naturopathic Council.

She treats her clients through personalised nutrition and lifestyle plans, working with them to get to the root cause of their health concerns and to reclaim their natural state of health and vitality.

Adams of Rye

For anyone who lives in the local area, Adams doesn’t really need an introduction.

Printers and stationers since 1854, it’s a much-loved institution that, thankfully, continues to flourish. They have clients such as Liberty in London, who recognise the excellence of their traditional printing methods.

Wisdens

Located on Trinity Street in Hastings, Wisdens is the town's most celebrated sporting institution, having supplied clothing and equipment for 120 years.

Founded in 1896 by Arthur Wisden, the shop has been managed by five generations of the Wisden family. Initially selling hunting, shooting, and fishing gear, Wisdens now specialises in equipment for cricket, tennis, hockey, rugby, athletics and dance, with an extensive range of products including protective gear and shoes for different sports.

Despite competition from large retailers like Sports Direct and the rise of online shopping, Wisdens continues to thrive by offering knowledgeable advice and