The 2026 edition of the ITF/Tennis Europe Small States Championships concluded this week in Marsa, Malta, following an action-packed programme that once again highlighted the importance of the event in supporting the development of tennis across Europe’s smaller nations.| 📷 Photos
Hosted by Malta Tennis and Padel Federation at the Marsa Sports Club, the Championships brought together players from seven nations: Malta, Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Andorra, Cyprus and Iceland, all of which have less than one million inhabitants. The players enjoyed a week of high-level competition with a strong focus on learning, collaboration, and international experience.
Singles
In the boys’ singles event, Luxembourg’s Noe Rousseau Pacheco claimed his first Junior Tour title after a hard-fought three-set victory over Malta’s Gianluca Pace, winning 6-3 4-6 6-2. Cyprus’ Yiannis Leontis, the top seed, secured third place with a 6-3 6-3 win against Malta’s Andy Gingell Littlejohn.
The girls’ singles title went to Cyprus’ Aleksija Strika, who overcame Montenegro’s Nadja Knezevic in a close contest, 6-3 7-5 to claim her first 14 & Under title on the Tour. Malta’s Lily Schranz completed the podium, defeating compatriot Pippa Cutugno 7-5 6-4 to finish third.
Doubles
Luxembourg also topped the boys’ doubles, where Antonio Marinelli and Noe Rousseau Pacheco defeated Malta’s Andy Gingell Littlejohn and Gianluca Pace 6-3 6-4 in the final. Third place went to Cyprus’ Alexandros Christodoulou and Yiannis Leontis, who beat Andorra’s Alex Capdevila Da Costa and Roger Losada 6-2 6-2.
In the girls’ doubles, Montenegro’s Martina Karadzic and Nadja Knezevic had a strong performance, coming back from one set down to defeat Luxembourg’s Lina Osmanovic and Alexandra Piechowski 1-6 7-5 10-7. Cyprus’ Margarita Konstantinou and Aleksija Strika secured third place with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Malta’s Chloe Kuijt and Maxine Soler.
Development at the heart of the event
As in previous editions, the Championships were preceded by a training camp, providing players with valuable on-court and off-court learning opportunities.
Olha Lazarchuk, ITF Development Officer for Europe, highlighted the importance of this element, saying “The training camp was a great success and a very important part of the week. It was extremely rewarding to see the players not only improving their skills on court, but also gaining valuable knowledge and learning from each other. The cooperation between the nations and the positive atmosphere created a fantastic environment for development.”
The event also marked a successful hosting effort by the Malta Tennis and Padel Federation, with Marsa Tennis Club providing an ideal setting for both training and competition.
Borislav Stoyanov, of Tennis Europe's Development Department, commented; “We would like to thank the Malta Tennis and Padel Federation for delivering an excellent event. The organisation, facilities and overall atmosphere contributed to making this edition a great success. Competitions like this are extremely important, as they provide young players with valuable international experience and an opportunity to develop both on and off the court.”
With the continued growth of the Championships, including the debut of the Faroe Islands this year, the event remains a key platform for fostering talent, strengthening cooperation between federations, and supporting the next generation of players.