Les Petits As – Europe Playoffs Wilson
First staged in Tarbes, France, in 1983, Les Petits As has become one of the world’s most prestigious 14 & Under tournaments. For more than four decades, the event has brought together many of the world’s leading young talents, with former participants including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters.
Since 2020, Les Petits As has held Super Category status on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour.
International Playoff events have been established in different regions to provide talented young players with a pathway to the main tournament in Tarbes. The first USA Playoffs were held in 2017, followed by the introduction of the Asia Playoffs in 2018 and subsequent expansion into Africa and Latin America.
In 2026, European players will have their own dedicated playoff opportunity for the first time. Organised in cooperation with Tennis Europe, the Bulgarian Tennis Federation and Les Petits As, the event forms part of the Tennis Europe Development Programme. Its aim is to widen access to high-level international competition and create a meaningful pathway for promising young European players.
2026 Les Petits As – Europe Playoffs Wilson
The inaugural European Playoffs will be held at Tennis Club Max Pro in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from 28 September to 2 October 2026.
The tournament is a Category 2 Tennis Europe Junior Tour event for boys and girls born in 2014 only. Participation is limited to eligible players formally nominated by their National Association.
The event will count towards the Tennis Europe Junior Tour Ranking, with players receiving Category 2 14&U ranking points according to their results.
The Boys’ Singles winner and the Girls’ Singles winner will each receive an Organiser Acceptance position in the Main Draw of Les Petits As in Tarbes in January 2027.
Competition Format
The tournament consists of singles only, with separate 32-player Boys’ and Girls’ draws. No qualifying or doubles events will be held.
Each draw will begin with eight round-robin groups of four players. Every player will compete against the other three players in their group, with the winner of each group advancing to the Quarterfinals.
The eight group winners will then compete in an elimination stage comprising the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final.
The competition schedule is:
- 28–30 September: Boys’ and Girls’ round-robin stages
- 1–2 October: Boys’ and Girls’ Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals
The applicable Tennis Europe Junior Tour Rules and Regulations will apply throughout the tournament.
Nominations
Tennis Europe C and B member nations are invited to nominate players for the event.
- Tennis Europe C member nations may nominate up to three boys, three girls and one official coach.
- Tennis Europe B member nations may nominate up to three boys, three girls and one official coach.
- The Bulgarian Tennis Federation, as the host nation, may nominate up to four boys, four girls and one official coach.
- Boys and girls must be nominated in priority order.
- Only players formally nominated by their National Association will be considered.
- All nominated players must hold an active World Tennis IPIN and Tennis Europe account.
Acceptance Procedure
The following procedure will be used to determine the final acceptance list:
- Tennis Europe C member nations will initially receive one directly accepted place for one boy and one girl, according to their nominated priority order.
- The host nation will receive four directly accepted places in each gender.
- Players nominated by Tennis Europe B member nations will be considered for the remaining places, initially on the basis of one boy and one girl per nation and according to their nominated priority order.
- If the number of B-nation nominees exceeds the number of available places, results from 2026 Tennis Europe Junior Tour 12&U Category 1 events will be considered first, followed by results from Category 2 events. Priority will be given to winners, runners-up and semifinalists, with the better result taking precedence.
- If places remain available after this process, additional players may be selected through Organiser Acceptances determined by the tournament organiser following consultation with Tennis Europe, irrespective of the one-player-per-nation principle.
The first selected participants will be confirmed on Friday, 18 September 2026. The complete Entry List will be finalised and communicated to the member nations on Tuesday, 22 September 2026.
Entries
The extended nomination deadline is Monday, 21 September 2026. Only National Associations may submit nominations.
Hospitality and Accommodation
The organiser will provide lunch and dinner for accepted players and one official coach per national squad until the last member of that squad is eliminated.
National squads are responsible for arranging and covering the costs of their accommodation, travel to and from Bulgaria, and transportation to the official venue.
The official hotel is the Park Sankt Peterburg Hotel in Plovdiv. Full accommodation, transportation, visa, and contact information are provided in the official tournament circular.
Tournament Information
- Dates: 28 September–2 October 2026
- Location: Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Venue: Tennis Club Max Pro
- Host National Association: Bulgarian Tennis Federation
- Category: Tennis Europe Junior Tour 14&U Category 2
- Eligible players: Boys and girls born in 2014
- Surface: Clay
- Official ball: Wilson Roland Garros
- Format: Singles only – round robin followed by Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals
- Prize: Organiser Acceptance into the Main Draw of Les Petits As 2027 for the Boys’ and Girls’ Singles champions
- For any further queries, please contact development@tenniseurope.org.