The 2026 ITF/Tennis Europe 14&Under Development Championships have concluded in Antalya, Türkiye, following a successful first week of competition at the MegaSaray Club. The event once again brought together promising young players and coaches from across Europe’s developing tennis nations for one of the key initiatives on the Tennis Europe development calendar.
A total of 40 players, representing ten invited nations, competed in the opening tournament alongside 18 accompanying coaches, gaining valuable competitive experience on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour while continuing their development both on and off the court. The Championships remain an important pathway for young players, with performances in Antalya contributing to selection opportunities for the ITF/Tennis Europe 14&U Touring Team later in the season.
In the end, the gold medals went to players representing four different nations. Top seeded home hope Aras Yalçinkaya (TUR) won the boys’ singles without dropping a set during the week, accounting for 7th seed Kan Ahic (BIH) 6-1 6-3 in the final. It's his second Junior Tour singles title, having also won at hoem in Mersin last October.
In the doubles, Yalçinkaya had to settle for a silver medal alongside team-mate Deniz Sengul (pictured). Giorgi Kintsurashvili & Iakobi Svanadze of Georgia edged a tight match 7-6 7-5 to claim the title.
Georgia’s girls – Natali Basilashvili & Viktoria Nanava - also reached the doubles final, but were pipped to the gold medal by Amajla Kadric & Sara Tripic of Bosnia & Herzegovina, who won a nail-bitingly close 6-4 4-6 10-8 battle.
The girls’ singles final was also an epic battle as top seeded Montenegrin Nadja Knezevic fought back from the brink of defeat to outlast Asya Ay (TUR) 3-6 7-5 6-3. Knezevic scored her fourth Junior Tour title, having already won one at each age level: 12, 14 and 16 & Under.
Throughout the week, players showcased strong performances and competitive spirit on the clay courts, while coaches also benefited from an educational workshop with Olha Lazarchuk, the ITF Development Officer for Europe. The Championships are designed to provide players from nations with fewer resources the opportunity to compete internationally and experience the structure of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour environment.
Unfortunately, due to the volatile geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the second week of competition was cancelled along with all other ITF competitions in Türkiye. While this was a disappointing outcome for players and coaches hoping to compete in the second tournament, organisers worked closely with all participating teams to ensure the safe and smooth conclusion of the first week’s activities.
Tennis Europe Development Manager Maciej Szymonski expressed gratitude to those who supported the event, saying “We are very thankful to the local organisers and the host nation, the Turkish Tennis Federation, for their assistance throughout the process. Despite the circumstances affecting the second week, we had a very successful first week of competition here in Antalya, and the players were able to gain valuable experience both on and off the court.”
The Development Championships have long been a cornerstone of Tennis Europe’s development initiatives, providing talented young players from across the continent with opportunities to compete internationally and progress within the sport. First staged in 1996, the event has helped launch the careers of a number of players that went on to become professional stars.
Tennis Europe and the ITF thanked all participating nations, players, coaches and officials for their cooperation and spirit throughout the week and look forward to continuing the development pathway for Europe’s next generation of tennis talent in future events.
Click here for full draws and results, or here for a photo gallery from Antalya.