Czechia and Spain faced off in both the boys’ and girls’ finals of the 16 & Under European Outdoor Team Championships, with the two tennis powerhouses splitting the titles. Czechia were the victors in the girls’ event, while Spain are the 2026 Summer Cups boys’ champs. Both teams wrapped up their wins after achieving unassailable 2-0 leads after the singles matches.
In Marianske Lazne, Czechia, the locals had plenty to cheer for as the Czech girls put on a dominating display of tennis in a field that featured four of Europe's top 5 players. The club, TCF Shicht Marianske Lazne, was hosting the finals for a fifth successive year and has been a happy hunting ground for the host nation, with three titles | Photo Gallery.
In Le Touquet, France, the boys' Borotra Cup is well established as one of the club's annual highlights, having hosted every final since 1975. Thousands of spectators visited the club over the three days to watch the action and were treated to some memorable matches. There were plenty of off-court activities too, with new Tennis Europe partners Bounce on site hosting skill games and demonstrating their pioneering re-pressurizing equipment designed to help individuals, clubs and coaches extend the life of tennis balls and help reduce the sport’s environmental impact | Photo Gallery.
THE GIRLS
- Since 2015, Czechia has appeared in 6 finals, including this one
- Their last win came in 2023 when they completed a run of 3 consecutive titles
- This was a repeat of February's Winter Cups by Dunlop final, where Czechia defeated Spain 2-1
- Spain has yet to win the title, having finished as runners up on 3 previous occasions (2011, 1997, 1991)
- Czechia has now won 8 titles, plus an additional 4 as part of Czechoslovakia
- Romania beat Slovakia to claim third place and the bronze medals. European #4 Maria Valentina Pop sealed the win with a comeback thriller over Laura Masarykova that lasted three hours.
Jana Kovackova has now amassed an incredible 5 gold medals at European championship events as part of Team Czechia:
- 16&U Summer Cups Champions (2026)
- 14&U Winter Cups Champions (2024)
- 14&U Summer Cups Champions (2024)
- 14&U European Junior Championships Doubles (2024) + singles runner-up.
- 14&U Tennis Europe Junior Masters Champion (2023)
CZECHIA’S ROAD TO THE FINAL
Qualifying Rounds - bye, def Poland 3-0, def Slovakia 2-0
Final Rounds - QF def. Ukraine 2-1, SF def. Romania 3-0, def. Spain 2-0
Katerina Zajiková opened up proceedings in the final with a clinical 6-4 6-1 win over Ailish Garcia Fernandez. Then European #1 Jana Kovackova kept her unbeaten run alive with a comeback 2-6 6-2 6-3 win over Paola Piñera.
THE BOYS
- Czechia were the defending champions, and this was their sixth final appearance since 2016
- Spain last won in 2022, and now has 8 titles in total
- Toni Escarda was also part of Spain’s victorious team at the 14&U Summer Cups in 2024
- Four of Europe's top 5 players were in action at the final rounds
- The host nation ended on a happy note as France claimed the bronze medals. Benoit Geldof & Pablo Pradat teamed up to beat Hungary's Venzel Fazekas & Istvan Mokán in the decisive doubles rubber.
SPAIN’S ROAD TO THE FINAL
Qualifying Rounds - def Andorra 3-0, def Netherlands, def Romania 2-1
Final Rounds - QF def. Poland 2-1, SF def Hungary 3-0, Final def. Czechia 2-0
In an intense opening rubber, Toni Escarda Piñeiro recovered from dropping the second set to put Spain up 1-0 with a 6-3 4-6 6-4 win over Tommy Patrick Luxa. Teammate Pedro Fontan Pardo de Santayana, number 11 on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour rankings, had an easier time getting the better of ninth-ranked Matyas Marsik 6-1 6-1 giving the Spaniards their eighth title.
Junior Davis Cup + Junior Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers
A total of 65 national teams took part in this year's 16 & Under Summer Cups, which took place at 10 venues across Europe. The Czech Tennis Association and French Tennis Federation both hosted qualifying and final rounds, while Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain also staged qualifying events.
The competition also serves as Europe's regional qualifying event for the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Billie Jean King Cup. The top 6 teams at the final rounds (in bold below) will go on to compete at the finals in Cairo, Egypt, from 2-8 November.
GIRLS' FINAL STANDINGS:
- Czechia
- Spain
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Ukraine
- Great Britain
- Greece
- Belgium
BOYS' FINAL STANDINGS:
- Spain
- Czechia
- France
- Hungary
- Italy
- Serbia
- Poland
- Romania