This year has been a standout one for our tennis community, filled with growth, teamwork, and incredible progress both on and off the court. In this week’s blog, our Director of Tennis Andy Trott celebrates the highlights, progress and the people that have made it all happen.
🥳 A Year Worth Celebrating
As the year wraps up, we’ve got plenty to celebrate! Even with a few senior coaches moving on, some recruitment challenges and some changes to our programmes, the team have smashed it – keeping our 50-week junior programme, camps, pay-as-you-go and student programmes running strong. We now have over 300 juniors involved, more University of Bristol players representing Avon Tennis, and lots of juniors volunteering every week. From ages 2 to 18, they’re learning, improving, making friends, and getting even more chances to compete!
🎾 UBTC on the Rise
Our University of Bristol Tennis Club (UBTC) jumped from 530 to over 570 players this year alone, making us the biggest sports society at the University of Bristol and one of the largest university tennis clubs in the UK. Members have more sessions than ever, extra coaching support (16 of our tennis coaches are UBTC members), and after another epic BUCS season (resulting in another top 10 finish), our Men’s and Women’s 1st teams are battling it out in the Southern Premier League and delivering outstanding performances each week. That success is a huge boost for recruiting future undergraduate and postgraduate players.
We’re not just playing tennis, we’re building one of the most successful, most active and ambitions student communities in the country.
🫶 What Truly Made This Year Special
Numbers aside, what really stands out is how the team pulled together through tough times on and off the court, grew as individuals, and set an amazing example for our players. They’ve put us in a great spot for 2026 and I can’t wait to see what we achieve next year.
Whether you’re a seasoned tennis player or have never picked up a racket before, the University of Bristol Tennis programme offers something for everyone. Be a part of our growing programme in 2026, from beginner-friendly sessions and social Pay & Play, to structured coaching and junior performance lessons! Find out more on the Sport, Exercise and Health website.