There was an extraordinary buzz for the final day of the 2026 NIC Yorkshire VI Doubles League at Hallamshire Tennis & Squash Club in Sheffield, and a sense of shared celebration as the curtain came down on the 2026 season.
The energy brought by experienced and new volunteers, the presence of Paul Faulkner, representing our sponsor NIC Services Group, and the support of Yorkshire Tennis & Padel president Karen Mitchell and head of operations Lauren Scales, all added to the atmosphere. And this was matched by the players, who arrived determined to give their best performances and finish the season on a high.
In true team spirit, junior player Ben Reynolds donned a blindfold and stepped onto court to partner a B1 player who was without a partner. Our LTA umpires also brought their usual professionalism and calm authority, helping the matches run smoothly and maintaining the high standards seen throughout the season.
With the final matches now completed, South Yorkshire finished the season at the top of the regional table with a total of 56 points, with West Yorkshire second on 30 points, North Yorkshire third on 22 points and East Yorkshire fourth with 18 points.
The B1 competition once again produced some excellent, nail-biting tennis. Emily Cooney and Klaudia Orzel, representing East Yorkshire, emerged as the category winners after remaining unbeaten throughout the fixture. They secured the title with a strong performance against South Yorkshire’s Gavin Griffiths and Sandra Brasher.
There was an all-female contest in the B2+ competition this time. Representing North Yorkshire, Rachel Abel and Ann Jenner took the win against South Yorkshire’s Nicky Gardner and Janiece Wallace in a tight contest that finished 7-5.
The open competition saw South Yorkshire take on last year’s league winners North Yorkshire, with Ameen Memon and Santosh Ghosh producing a strong performance for South Yorkshire to beat North Yorkshire’s Jayanti Mistry and Graham Robson with an average score of 6-2.
Well done to everyone who represented South Yorkshire during the 2026 league season: Sandra Brasher, Gavin Griffiths, Bilaal Ali, Emily Cooney, Ameen Memon, Nicky Gardner, Visrat Bhatti, Janiece Wallace, Judith Garside, Santosh Ghosh, Fasia Elonga and Parveen Vashisht.
League organiser David Wallace said: “Congratulations to all the players who took part, and to their achievements throughout the year. The league has provided some memorable tennis and, just as importantly, created more opportunities for visually impaired players to compete, represent their regions and enjoy their tennis together.”
FIXTURE WINNERS
Final player rankings, based on metrics including games played and matches won:
Final league table after Matchday 4
| Position | Region | Points |
| 1 | South Yorkshire | 56* |
| 2 | West Yorkshire | 30* |
| 3 | North Yorkshire | 22* |
| 4 | East Yorkshire | 18* |
* Note: the points shown are subject to penalty points adjustments as per League Rules.
Full results are available on the LTA competition page.