Open Regatta 2026: a record year
Dartmouth hosted its first-ever LTA Grade 3 regional tournament this year — and entries, players and fee income all grew with it.
The 2026 Dartmouth Royal Regatta Tennis Tournament delivered strong growth and a genuine first for the town: an LTA Grade 3 regional event, staged here for the first time.
Participation, at a glance
The LTA's own summary counts event entries; Dartmouth's longer-running online record counts players. Both point the same way.
More events, more entries, more players
Alongside the headline growth in entries, the tournament programme itself broadened this year — with two returning and new events both performing well.
- First-ever LTA Grade 3 tournament staged in Dartmouth, bringing regional-level competition to the town.
- Women's singles returned to the programme, attracting 7 entries.
- Two new over-70s events launched successfully — men's singles over 70 (8 entries) and men's doubles over 70 (5 pairs).
- Family doubles grew again, from 9 to 10 pairs.
2026 appears to have been one of the strongest years since online records began, likely exceeded only by 2014 and 2018.
Participation and entry growth
Family doubles appeared on the LTA system up to and including 2019 but is no longer included in its entry count, so the two measures are shown separately below. Each doubles pair counts as one event entry.
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 | Change | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTA event entries | 84 | 110 | +26 | 31.0% |
| Players in long-term record | 72 | 94 | +22 | 30.6% |
| Family doubles entries (pairs) | 9 | 10 | +1 | 11.1% |
| All event entries incl. family doubles | 93 | 120 | +27 | 29.0% |
A strong platform for next year
2026 was an important step forward for tennis in Dartmouth: participation and income grew, the programme broadened, and the town staged its first regional-level LTA event — strong momentum heading into 2027.