Description

                        Welcome to the University Of Bristol Tennis Club

UBTC is one of the largest and most successful university tennis clubs in the UK, with over 630 members and 9 different membership categories designed to welcome players of all levels, backgrounds and experience.

We take great pride not only in our competitive achievements, but also in the community we have built. Whether members are competing at the highest university level, playing socially, developing their game, coaching, volunteering, or simply being part of the club, we want every person to feel valued, supported and included.

Our Men’s 1s and Women’s 1s compete in the BUCS Southern Premiership, the highest level of university tennis in the region, reflecting the strength of our performance programme.

Alongside our 1st teams, UBTC has a strong and growing BUCS structure across both our men’s and women’s squads. For the 2026/27 season, our Men’s 2s and Women’s 2s will compete in Western Tier 1 Division 1, following successful promotion campaigns. Our Men’s 3s and Men’s 4s will compete in Western Tier 2B, while our Women’s 3s and newly introduced Women’s 4s will also compete in Western Tier 2B. This means that, for the first time ever, UBTC will have 4 men’s BUCS teams and 4 women’s BUCS teams, creating equal competitive opportunities across both programmes and marking an exciting step forward for the club.

While we are proud of our competitive success, we remain equally committed to creating a positive and welcoming environment for all our members, ensuring UBTC is a club where players can grow, enjoy their tennis and feel proud to belong.

• For general club enquiries, please contact Club Captain Rana El-Defrawy at uobtennisclub@gmail.com.
• For questions relating to club, development or advanced trials, please contact our UBTC Coordinator, Ollie Bendall at ollie.bendall@bristol.ac.uk
• For questions relating to BUCS Performance, please contact our Performance Head Coach, Ali Blackett at ali.Blackett@bristol.ac.uk

                                                      About UBTC

All UBTC coaching is delivered by LTA qualified coaches, ensuring a high standard across every level of the club. Our BUCS Performance squads train on court 3–4 times per week, with additional small group sessions on Mondays and Fridays delivered by experienced Level 3 and Level 4 coaches through Sport, Exercise and Health (SEH).

Our wider membership categories are supported by a dedicated team of student coaches, many of whom are Level 2 or Level 3 LTA accredited. This helps us provide structured, encouraging and high-quality coaching for everyone, from beginners and improvers through to advanced and competitive players.

UBTC is a large and inclusive society where students can develop their tennis, compete, coach, play socially and build lasting friendships. For many members, the club becomes a defining part of their university experience, and we hope it will play a memorable part in yours too. The club is run by a dedicated student committee, working closely with Sport, Exercise and Health and the Bristol SU to keep improving what we offer. We are always open to feedback, ideas and suggestions, so if there is something you would like to see from UBTC, please let us know.

                                                   Membership Options

With 9 different membership categories, UBTC offers something for every level of player, from complete beginners and social players to those competing in BUCS and performance squads. Each option is designed to help members find the right place within the club, whether they want to develop their game, compete, play regularly, or simply enjoy tennis as part of a friendly university community.

BUCS Performance– Our highest-level competitive squads, representing UBTC at the top levels of university tennis. These players compete regularly in BUCS leagues and cup fixtures, with a focus on high-performance training, tactical development and delivering strong results for the university.

Development– For strong players looking to bridge the gap into BUCS competition, with a focus on building match experience, competitive confidence and consistency through challenging sessions, internal and external matchplay with opportunities to play up in BUCS where appropriate. Many of our Development players have progressed into BUCS squads, making this a key pathway for those pushing to reach the next level.

Advanced – High-level recreational and competitive play for experienced players, focused on developing consistency, tactical awareness and confidence in more challenging matchplay environments.

Intermediate Competitive – For improving players who are keen to compete, with a focus on developing tactical awareness, consistency and confidence on court through matchplay-based drills and internal competitions.

Intermediate Social – A balance of coaching, relaxed matchplay and regular tennis in a friendly, social environment.

Improver – For players who already have some basic tennis experience and are looking to build their confidence, technique and understanding of the game.

Beginner – For those who are new to tennis or still learning the basics, with supportive coaching to help build core skills and confidence on court.

Social Tennis – Casual, friendly tennis for members who want to play in a relaxed environment, meet new people and enjoy being part of the UBTC community.

Learn to Tennis (5 week course) – Never picked up a racket before? Our 5-week Learn to Tennis course runs several times throughout the year and is the perfect way to get started, build confidence and learn the basics in a fun, supportive environment.

                                            25/26 BUCS Season highlights

• The Men’s 1s finished 4th in the Southern Premiership in their second consecutive season cementing their spot at the highest regional level of university tennis once again.

• The Women’s 1s finished an impressive 3rd in the Southern Premiership in their first season following promotion again, establishing themselves strongly in the top division.

• The Men’s 2s had an outstanding season, finishing 1st out of 10 teams in Western Tier 2B and securing promotion to Western Tier 1 Division 1 for the 2026/27 season.

• The Women’s 2s also earned promotion to Western Tier 1 Division 1 for the 2026/27 season, marking another excellent step forward for our women’s programme.

• The Men’s 3s and Men’s 4s both competed strongly in Western Tier 2B, finishing 4th and 6th out of 10 teams respectively, showing the depth and competitiveness of men’s tennis across the club.

• The Women’s 3s had a superb season, finishing 3rd in Western Tier 2B and producing some standout performances throughout the year. They also enjoyed a memorable cup run, with one of the highlights coming in a dramatic victory against Exeter. After the fixture finished level at 3–3, the tie was decided by a shootout tiebreak. The singles tiebreaks were split 1–1, before Bristol held their nerve in the deciding doubles tiebreak, winning 11–9 to secure the fixture. It was a wonderful display of composure, resilience and team spirit under pressure, earning the Women’s 3s a place in the quarter finals.

• The Men’s 3s produced a brilliant cup run, coming incredibly close to reaching the final before narrowly losing out to Cardiff Men’s 3s in a semi final full of close sets and deciding tiebreaks. Their performance showed the strength and depth of men’s tennis at UBTC, with the team only just missing out on what would have been an all Bristol final against our Men’s 2s.

• The Men’s 4s also had an impressive cup run, reaching the quarter finals before losing to eventual winners Southampton Men’s 1s. Their progress reflected the growing strength of our wider BUCS programme and the depth of competitive tennis at UBTC.

• At the BUCS Doubles Championships on 15th/16th November 2025, our women’s pair, Chandani Rathnam and Grace Piper, were seeded 5th and reached the quarter-finals, narrowly losing 10–7 in a deciding match tiebreak. Our men’s pair, Jack Ritchie and Seb Correa Garma, also showed great resilience, recovering from a tough opening round against Leeds Beckett’s number one pair to beat Brighton in the consolation draw, before narrowly losing to Imperial in another close match tiebreak.

• UBTC was also proudly represented at the BUCS Individual Championships, with Grace Piper, Athina Radicopoulos, Dasha Kuzmina and Chandani Rathnam competing in the tournament, and Jack Ritchie, Leo Sassoon, Seb Correa Garma, Talal Sabry and Will Pickard competing in the men’s draw. Athina, Chandani and Dasha all progressed through their opening qualifying matches, while Jack and Seb also won their first round matches, with each narrowly missing out in the second round of qualifying.

• One of the most historic individual achievements of the season came from Grace Piper, who finished as runner-up at the BUCS Singles Tournament, becoming the first female medallist for Bristol since the competition began in the 1960s, and the club’s first singles medallist of any kind since 1983. Grace also represented BUCS Universities at Wimbledon and the GB Student Team twice this year, helping Great Britain win gold in France after beating the USA in the final. In recognition of her outstanding season and contribution to UBTC, Grace was named a 2026 REDS Award winner. Her success represents a memorable moment for the club and is something the whole UBTC community is incredibly proud of.

                                        25/26 Conference Cup Achievements

Building on last season's success, where our Men's 3s won the Conference Cup, this year saw both our second teams reach the finals:

• The Women's 2s won the Conference Cup Final, defeating Exeter Women's 4s 6–0 in a dominant display featuring several hard-fought tiebreakers across the singles rubbers.
• The Men's 2s reached the Conference Cup Final but narrowly fell short against Southampton, losing 2–4 in a tight contest with plenty of tiebreakers throughout.

Overall, the 2025/26 season has been one of real progress for UBTC, with promotions, strong league finishes, memorable cup runs, national tournament representation and historic milestones across both the men’s and women’s squads.                                                

                                             25/26 Socials and Club Events

The social side of UBTC is a huge part of what makes the club so special. Alongside training and competition, we run a busy social calendar throughout the year, bringing members together across all teams and membership categories. Our Wednesday socials are a staple of the club calendar, with events ranging from pub quizzes, pub crawls and scavenger hunts, to family socials and themed nights such as Game Set MINGLE, Rhyme Without Reason and Wild West. The list of socials is endless, and there is always something for members to get involved in. Our formals are also some of the biggest highlights of the year, with over 200 members attending our Christmas Formal alone, showing just how strong and connected the UBTC community is both on and off court.

We are also proud to host events that combine tennis, charity and community, including our 24-hour Tennis Marathon in support of White Ribbon UK, as well as Club Championships, Hobson Cup and Play Your Way to Wimbledon. Beyond tennis, we love collaborating with other clubs too, including Racket Wars with Squash and Badminton, as well as our Super Saturday 7-a-side football tournament with UBWFC at Coombe Dingle. Whether members are competing, training, playing socially or coming along to events, UBTC offers a full club experience and creates friendships and memories that last well beyond university.

26/27 UBTC Committee

• Club Captain: Rana El-Defrawy 
• Vice Club Captains: Seb Correa-Garma & Tassius Chigariro
• Secretary: Bella Basson
• Treasurer: Caitlin Marshall
• EDI Officer / Wellbeing Champion: Isabel Gonzales-Lamberth
• Competition Organisers: Phoebe Patient, Ben Collier, Seb Ma’har & George Watson
• Social Secretaries: Alex Foster, Alice Janzen, Harry Ritchie & Kim Bradnum
• Social Media Secretary: Ben Hutton
• Trip Secretary: Gui M-W
• Fundraising Officer: Jacob Beard
• Sponsorship Secretary: Will Edlin
• Alumni Secretary: Darcey Holloway
• Kit Secretary: Alice Janzen
• BUCS Men’s Captains: Jack Ritchie & Jamie Blunt
• BUCS Women’s Captains: Athina Radicopoulos & Chandani Rathnam
• Development Men’s Captain: Ed Dawson
• Development Women’s Captain: Millie McEwen
• Advanced Men’s Captain: Alex Foster
• Advanced Women’s Captain: Olivia Swinson
• Intermediate Captains: Isabel Hughes & Will Weerackoon
• Improver Captain: Berin Nur Topcuoglu

Our website has plenty of useful information to help you get started with UBTC. Not sure which membership category is right for you? You’ll find a clear breakdown of all our groups to help you choose the best fit. Want to see when sessions are running? Our full timetable is available online, with details of everything we offer across the club. You can also get to know our committee through the Meet the Committee section, find guidance on how to book courts yourself, and access key information about getting involved with UBTC.

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