Last weekend saw Aimee Gibson return to GB no.1 as she and Catherine Rose both re-entered the world’s top 100 by reaching the final at the FIP Silver Hiscox Padel Irish Open in Dublin.
Aimee and Catherine, playing in their fifth final together on the FIP circuit, fell 6-2, 7-5 to top-seeded Spanish duo Noemí Aguilar Carrillo and Letizia María Manquillo Alarza. They had secured impressive victories over the fourth and second seeds earlier in the week.
It was Aimee’s second successive FIP final after she finished runner-up with Dutchwoman Janine Hemmes the weekend previously in Hungary.
Aimee and Catherine next move on to Portugal for this week’s FIP Silver Mimiosa Open Porto where they will be eighth seeds. This will continue their preparations for the eagerly-waited London Premier Padel P1 (4-9 August).
Also featuring in London’s Olympia will be GB pair Louie Harris and Alex Loughlan, who went down 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 to Spanish fourth seeds Guillem Figuerola Santiago and Roberto Belmont Pastor in Dublin.
Cameron Dollimore and Theo Garton, who received a qualification wildcard for the London P1, lost 6-3, 6-4 to second seeded Spaniards Antonio Fernandez and Pedro Melendez Amaya in the round of 16.
Last weekend also brought British success in both the men’s and women’s competitions at the LTA Padel British Tour Grade 1 Rocks Lane in Chiswick, London.
Held at Rocks Lane Padel, Alice Keddie and Victoria Nicholas claimed their second LTA Grade 1 title of 2026, while top seeds Sam Jones and Ben Phillips claimed their first LTA Grade 1 title as a pair in the men’s draw.
Keddie and Nicholas, who came into this tournament as recent LTA Padel British Tour Grade 1 Exeter champions, had an impressive weekend, overcoming the top two seeded pairs to claim the title.
In the semi-finals the Keddie and Nicholas comfortably defeated the top seeds, Kace Bartley and Sian Payne 6-3, 6-1 before overcoming the second seeds Denise Negro and Kerry White 6-1, 6-4 to claim back-to-back titles.
Keddie added, “We’re really pleased with the result. I’ve been working hard on and off the court in the lead-up, so it’s rewarding to see that hard work continue to pay off after also winning the LTA Grade 1 Guernsey.”
On the men’s side, top seeds Jones and Phillips delivered an impressive display to secure the title. The Brits had a comfortable run to the final, not dropping a set, and claimed the title defeating the second seeded Spaniards, Manuel Valcarcel Sanchez and Rafael Vega 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
Speaking after the final, Phillips said, “Proud to win my first LTA Grade 1 title. It was a pleasure partnering with Sam, and it’s great to see all the hard work paying off. After a challenging month recovering from a fractured wrist, this result means a lot. A huge thank you to Rocks Lane and Mohi for running such a fantastic event.”
The competition at Rocks Lane was the fourth of seven LTA Grade 1 events in 2026 to take place across England, Scotland, and the Channel Islands as part of the British Tour, which encompasses the top padel competitions in Great Britain.
