IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge - 2024 Regionals Summary

Following a hugely successful 2023 finals in La Jolla, California, attended by Rod Laver himself, 2024 marked that start of the latest edition of the IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge. The competition, which is the only IC event for juniors, aims to provide an opportunity for promising young players to begin a relationship with their respective ICs, travelling abroad to compete while also learning about new cultures in the true spirit of the IC. The competition runs in cycles of two years, with five regional events in year one, and a worldwide final in year two. This year, a total of 18 countries participated in the regional competitions and 6 will be competing in the upcoming worldwide final.

South America was the first regional event which kicked off in September in Argentina in the beautiful setting of the Martindale Country club on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The players were kindly hosted by members of the club and started their stay with a welcome cocktail party. Over three days of competition, the four participating teams – Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay – each played a match against one other in a round robin format. The level of competition was extremely high across the event and three of the six matches came down to the deciding mixed doubles tiebreak, creating a great atmosphere for the players and fans alike! Argentina emerged triumphant after a close battle with Chile and will participate at the worldwide final.

The next regional followed soon after in Europe, hosted in the town of Zaragoza by the IC of Spain. The European competition is the largest of the regionals with a total of eight teams from seven countries participating – Croatia, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and two teams from hosts Spain. The teams were split into two groups of four teams and spent three days playing a round robin. On the fourth day each team played off against the team of the same position in the opposing group to determine the final standings. Alongside the tennis the players were treated to dinner at a local restaurant, a closing dinner at the club, a sightseeing tour of Zaragoza and helped to run a philanthropy tennis clinic. After fighting off Spain 4-3 to top their box, Italy beat Great Britain in the final to win the regional. They will progress to the worldwide finals, and Spain will also have a spot as the host nation.

In November, the North American regional took place with first time hosts Barbados putting together a wonderful sequence of events for the players from Barbados, Canada, Mexico and the USA. Over three days of play the teams each played one another in a round robin event at the scenic Barbados Yacht Club, right on the beach! Despite frequent rain delays, the event progressed smoothly with Mexico defeating the USA in an electric mixed doubled shoot out to win qualification to the worldwide finals. Off court – in addition to enjoying the beachside location, players enjoyed a BBQ and participating in a philanthropy session with children from a local orphanage.

The final regional for Asia/Oceania was hosted in December by the IC of Singapore at the Winchester Tennis Centre. This regional featured only 3 teams – India, Japan and Singapore – so a round robin format was played where each team played each other over three days. On their days off the Indian and Japanese teams were taken on a sightseeing tour of the city by representatives from the IC of Singapore, and all teams had a welcome dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. Last year’s worldwide champions India were back with another strong team and won both their matches to qualify for the finals where they will have the chance to defend their title.

In previous editions of the IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge there has been a fifth regional for Africa. However, in light of many difficulties including logistics and the lack of IC member countries in Africa, a decision was made not to hold an Africa regional this year. To ensure continued representation from Africa in the worldwide final, South Africa will be bringing a team selected from their U16 national’s competition. Over time we hope to work out a solution that allows a full Africa regional to be held again.

Full tournament reports and scorecards for the four regionals are available here.

2025 Finals

Now the regionals are complete, all eyes are turning to the 2025 Worldwide Final, which will take place on the historic courts of the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona and Real Club de Tenis Barcelona in Spain. The event will be held from the 26th – 30th July 2025 and the IC committee and IC of Spain are busy finalising preparations for the event. As well as battling on the court for the trophies, the six teams will be able to enjoy a full programme of events including exploring the city of Barcelona, and bonding with each other over local food. We are very grateful to the IC of Spain for their hard work creating a memorable event for the players and look forward to sharing daily reports of the event on social media and the IC website when it all starts!

Participating ICs
Argentina
Italy
Mexico
India
South Africa
Spain (hosts)

Full Results

South America
Winners: Argentina
Runners up: Chile
3rd place: Brazil
4th place: Uruguay

Europe
Winners: Italy
Runners up: Great Britain
3rd place: Spain I
4th place: Slovenia
5th place: Norway
6th place: Spain II
7th place: Luxembourg
8th place: Croatia

North America
Winners: Mexico
Runners up: USA
3rd place: Canada
4th place: Barbados

Asia/Oceania
Winners: India
Runners up: Japan
3rd place: Singapore

Gabriela Sabatini Accepts 2017 CQS Jean Borotra Award

The Council of International Lawn Tennis Club is delighted to award the 2017 CQS Jean Borotra IC Sportsmanship Award to Gabriela Sabatini. 

The Award recognises outstanding sportsmanship throughout an individual’s playing career, which is consistent with the objectives and spirit of the now 40 International Clubs (ICs), as well as with a dedication to developing and encouraging participation in tennis across the world. 

Gabriela is a hugely deserving recipient of this prestigious award. Throughout her extremely successful playing career, she was known both on and off the court, no matter what the situation, for her kind, polite, respectful and genuine personality.  Gabriela even said of herself that she should “perhaps be a little more aggressive on the court”.  It was her graciousness and kind-heartedness, along with her natural elegance, which won over the hearts of world.

Since her retirement from the professional game, her contribution to many charitable projects highlight what a fantastic ambassador Gabriela is for both sport and for her country.

Gabriela is ambassador of the Fundación Argentina Contra el Cancer (FACEC), which promotes awareness and protection against breast cancer. (FACEC was founded, and is presided over, by Roman Rostagno, distinguished physician, former member of Argentina’s Davis Cup Committee, and a member of the IC of Argentina.) 

Gabriela has dedicated herself, especially, to supporting female athletes and to gender equality throughout the world.

Gabriela is also working on campaigns for UNICEF, UNESCO and the Special Olympics, as well as privately supporting education projects.  The Fundación Baccigalupo, which has been helping underprivileged children through sport for over 10 years, is another of Gabriela’s special interests. 

When the IC of Argentina hosted the South American qualifying rounds of the Compass IC Worldwide Junior Challenge in 2007, and again in 2015, Gabriela hosted IC Philanthropy tennis clinics alongside both events for underprivileged youngsters.  

Recently, Gabriela was selected as a role model for the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games. Such role models must exemplify the Olympic values both on and off the sporting field.  Accepting the role, Gabriela said: “Sport has provided me with tremendous opportunities throughout my life and I want to help inspire a new generation of players”. 

On the court, Gabriela’s talent for the game was demonstrated early, when she became the youngest player to win the Orange Bowl in Miami, at the age of only 13.  At 14, she won the French Open Under 18 Girls singles title and was the Junior World No. 1. A year later, in 1985, and still only 15, she became one of the youngest players ever to reach the semi-finals of the French Open.

Gabriela went on to win 27 titles throughout her tennis career, including the US Open in 1990, and two Masters titles, in 1988 and 1994.  She reached No. 3 in the world and won the Wimbledon doubles title with Steffi Graf in 1988. She was a 15 times Grand Slam semi-finalist, a US Open finalist in 1988, a Wimbledon finalist in 1991, and an Olympic silver medallist in 1988.  It was her consistency at the very top of the game which was particularly impressive. She spent 10 consecutive years in the Top 10 in the world, with six of them in the Top 5; and this was at a time when many other ‘legends of the game’ - Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graff and Monica Seles - were playing. 

Most importantly, and especially for this award, she was a true competitor and sportswoman both on and off the court - a great role model for women tennis players throughout the world.  She was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.

Gabriela retired at the age of 26 and is now a business woman (she has her own lines of perfume). She still spends a significant amount of time giving back to tennis and loves doing sport herself as it allows her "to keep her feet on the ground".

We are thrilled that Gabriela has accepted the 2017 CQS Jean Borotra IC Sportsmanship Award.  We will be presenting it to her during the second week of The Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in July 2018.