Eastbourne gets pride of place in LTA’s County Cup week

The LTA Summer County Cup has had hundreds of tennis players taking to the courts to proudly represent their counties.

First played in 1895, County Week is one of the longest-running tennis tournaments, with the pandemic meaning 2020 was the first time other than during two World Wars that it did not take place. Now firmly back on the tennis calendar, this year’s nationwide competition began on Monday and ends on Friday. Some 44 counties across seven groups have competed at 12 grass court venues all over the UK.

With free admission for all spectators, County Week has provided an amazing opportunity to watch top-level players take part in a competition that has been graced by some of the most recognised names in British tennis.

Wimbledon stars Henry Patten (Essex), Billy Harris (Isle of Man) Jacob Fearnley (East of Scotland), Harriet Dart (Middlesex), Jack Draper (Surrey), Joe Salisbury (Surrey) and Dan Evans (Warwickshire) were all regulars on the County Cup circuit before their careers took off.

In 2010, the then World No 3, Andy Murray, turned up in Eastbourne, along with his brother Jamie, to play on grass for injury-hit North of Scotland – unfortunately the brothers could not stop them losing 5-4 to Hertfordshire in Group One of the competition.

County teams are organised into seven women’s groups and seven men’s groups, with teams for each tie consisting of three doubles pairs. This year has again seen over 200 ties and almost 2,000 rubbers played during the week, as 44 counties across Great Britain have gone head-to-head to earn promotion and avoid relegation from their respective groups.

Surrey are the reigning men's champions after clinching the 2023 trophy, while Hertfordshire Women are the ones to beat after their success last year.

On the men’s side, North of Scotland and Northamptonshire made a welcome return to the Group One event – Northamptonshire joining the top group again after an absence of 21 years. On the women’s side, Yorkshire and Middlesex will be playing in the elite group in 2024.

Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park, which just recently hosted the 50th Rothesay International in June, has staged the premier Group 1 matches and the traditional home of the event witnessed six women’s and six men’s teams battle it out for the 2024 County Cup honours.

LTA Tournament Director Julie Piper said: “It is fantastic to be back for the 129th County Week. There is always a great atmosphere and real excitement amongst the players which is part of what makes this long-standing traditional event such a special part of the tennis calendar.’’

The Eastbourne event at Devonshire Park is the pinnacle of the County Cup hosting Group 1, with a further 11 grass court venues around the country staging events for Groups 2 – 7 in each of the men’s and women’s competitions. The leading two counties in each group earn promotion to the group above them for the 2025 competition, with the bottom two counties relegated to the group below.

The competitio added two new venues to the schedule this year: the AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Centre Roehampton and the AELTC Community Tennis Centre at Raynes Park.

Julie added: “I want to thank the AELTC for allowing the Summer County Cup Event to use these amazing facilities. The courts are in pristine condition despite just recently hosting the Wimbledon Qualifying rounds. I know it will be an incredible thrill for the players to step out on to these courts – following the hard-fought battles we have seen on them in recent weeks.’’