After the successful introduction of the County Singles Ladder leagues in April 2023 (the final results and standings are included at the bottom of this page), Hampshire & IOW Tennis (HIOWT) is keen to develop the concept further, creating a prestigious ongoing event to bring together the very best players from each club. We would like to work together with clubs to ensure that your internal competitions, including teams, Club Championships and Leagues / Ladders, are well supported, and that the top players have a chance to compete outside of these against each other. It is vital to us that they remain part of their club setup, and that other players are incentivised to try and reach this level.

If you would like any help setting up your own internal club league / ladder, please do not hesitate to contact us, as we would be delighted to help.

In order to thank you for helping us to promote this opportunity, we would like to offer the incentive of a free tube of HEAD tennis balls for each new player who signs up for the leagues. Upon sign-up, each player will be asked to name their home venue, which will then be used to allocate this reward.

We would therefore be very grateful if you could promote the below information to your relevant club members, which hopefully you will see as an enhancement to your club’s competitive offering:

Hampshire & IOW Tennis – Singles Box Leagues

• Open to male & female players aged 16+, who fulfil at least one of the following criteria:
  • Have attended county training (adult or junior) within the past 12 months
  • Play for their own club’s men’s, ladies’ or mixed A team
  • Have reached at least the semi finals of their own Club Championship
  • Play in the top division of their own club’s Box League / Ladder League
  • Have a minimum World Tennis Number of 35.0

• For players below this standard who are keen to play in singles matches outside of their club, please consider Barclays Local Tennis Leagues – https://www.lta.org.uk/play/find-a-local-tennis-league/

• Multiple box leagues with 6 players per division (where possible)

• 4 seasons per year (generally 2.5 months per season, with a break in between each)

• Matches will be recorded online via the LTA’s Box League Manager, with all matches counting for players’ World Tennis Numbers

• Players will be placed into a Box League with other players of a similar ability, considering the eligibility criteria above

• There will be promotion and relegation at the end of each season, with 2 players going up and down, and 2 players remaining in the division  

• Each player must play at least 2 matches to be able to enter the following season’s league (unless there are extenuating circumstances, which must be communicated to the organiser)

• Singles matches – 2 sets, with a deciding 10-point match tiebreak

• All matches must be played at an LTA-registered venue

• Matches are organised by the individual players themselves

• Venues are encouraged to waive guest fees

• A chance to meet and compete against players from around the county, and to experience playing at different venues and on different surfaces

• FREE to enter

• Prizes will be given out

• The aggregate best performing male and female players at the end of each year will receive an opportunity to train with the Hampshire & IOW Senior County Team, and may even have the chance to represent the county at B level or higher

• For any player aged 16 or 17, the parent’s contact details must be supplied please. Matches should not be organised directly by minors, nor should their contact details be shared

• The organisers will be Paul Scullard and Sandra Holmes

In order to sign up, please email boxleagues@hampshireiow.tennis with the following information:

• Name
• Contact number
• Email address
• World Tennis Number (available via your LTA Advantage account)
• Home venue