HERE WE GO! LAMPO TROPHY 2026

Presentation of the 2026 Lampo Trophy Tournament

Nations participating in the 2026 Lampo Trophy

  • AUSTRIA
  • CANADA
  • FRANCIA
  • ITALIA
  • MESSICO
  • SERBIA
  • SLOVENIA
  • SUD AFRICA
  • UNGHERIA

Locations

Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 (Brescia)

Centro Tennis Ospitaletto (provincia)

Key dates

– July 6: group draw

– July 7–9: Group stage matches (Girls in the morning, Boys in the afternoon)

– July 10: semi-finals

– July 11: Finals, followed by the awards ceremony and party
– July 12: Potential make-up day


Press Releases - Lampo Trophy 2026

24th Lampo Trophy: the champions of tomorrow return to Brescia from July 6 to 11.

The presentation of the 24th Lampo Trophy, an event returning to Brescia from Monday, July 6, to Saturday, July 11.

Brescia – Years pass, the tennis world evolves, and its key players change, yet the Lampo Trophy retains its central role in international youth tennis—acting as a sort of mini-Davis Cup for the world’s best under-12 players. The 24th edition of this Tennis Europe circuit event—conceived, organized, and directed by Gianni Capacchietti—returns to Brescia from Monday, July 6, to Saturday, July 11. As always, it offers a glimpse of tomorrow’s talents, this time hailing from nine nations across three continents. A key piece of news regarding the 2026 event—presented this afternoon at the charming Spazio Capoferri venue in Ospitaletto, attended by organizers and officials—is the absence of the South Korean national team. South Korea had dominated the last two editions, winning both the boys’ and girls’ titles—a feat previously achieved in the tournament’s twenty-plus-year history only by Italy and the United Kingdom. This absence automatically creates an opportunity for the other title contenders: naturally, this includes Italy, which holds the record for most victories but hasn’t won since 2019. This time, they will face competition from Austria, Canada, France, Mexico (competing only in the boys’ event), Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa (competing only in the girls’ event), and Hungary. All these nations have participated in the competition before, and all—with the exception of Serbia—have previously won at least once in either the boys’ or girls’ categories.

Along with the tournament format—featuring the customary opening ceremony on Monday, the group stage from Tuesday to Thursday, and the semi-finals and finals on Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th—the venues from the previous edition have also been confirmed. The main venue will be Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 on Via Signorini in Brescia, but significant activity is also scheduled for the Centro Tennis Ospitaletto, which is set to host half of the matches during the first three days. The schedule remains unchanged as well, with matches for the four girls’ groups taking place in the morning and those for the four boys’ groups in the afternoon. “By now,” says Gianni Capacchietti, Director of the Lampo Trophy, “our event has become a tradition, yet every year brings a new challenge and a renewed commitment. We are honored to present it for the twenty-fourth time, driven by a desire to promote youth tennis and the thrill of seeing so many young players who passed through our event go on to become internationally renowned champions. The 2026 edition promises to be particularly competitive, with many nations fielding strong contenders for the title. We are ready to enjoy the spectacle, which would not be possible without the support of our sponsors, public institutions, and the many people who collaborate with us. Our deepest thanks, as always, go to all of them.”

LAMPO TROPHY 2026: NATIONAL TEAMS COMPETING
Men’s: Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary.
Women’s: Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Hungary.

Here are the groups for the 2026 Lampo Trophy: the 24th edition kicks off on Tuesday, taking place in Brescia and Ospitaletto.

The Italian teams competing in the 2026 edition of the Lampo Trophy, kicking off on Tuesday between Brescia and Ospitaletto (photo by Alvaro Maffeis).

Brescia – The competition remains the same—now in the 24th chapter of a success story—yet the challenge renews itself every year. The 2026 Lampo Trophy has just kicked off with the opening ceremony and the group draw for this Under-12 national team event. The tournament brings some of the world’s top young talents from Europe, the Americas, and Africa to Brescia, with matches held at the Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 club (Via Signorini) and the Ospitaletto Tennis Center. Seven nations are competing for the titles (boys’ and girls’); South Korea, which won both categories in the last two editions, is absent this time. Tuesday marks the first of three days dedicated to the group stage, with spots in the knockout rounds—scheduled for Friday (semifinals) and Saturday (finals)—up for grabs. Naturally, the two Italian squads are among the teams to watch: representing Italy in the boys’ event are Giovanni Fazio (Sicily), Tommaso Migliorini (Emilia-Romagna), and Tommaso Radic (Veneto), captained by Maurizio Calcagno; the girls’ team features Alice Carlinfante (Abruzzo), Alice Cellai (Tuscany), and Kristel Fantoni Kaba (Piedmont), led by Verdiana Verardi. They will aim to bring a victory back to Italy, a feat last achieved in 2019 by the boys’ team.

Italy has been drawn into Group A, with matches taking place at the Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 club: the men’s team will face France, Austria, and Mexico, while the women’s team will play against France, Austria, and South Africa. Meanwhile, in Group B, Canada, Serbia, and Slovenia will compete for the two semifinal spots at the Ospitaletto Tennis Center. Women’s matches begin at 8:45 AM, followed by the men’s matches at 2:00 PM. The opening day’s schedule features Italy vs. South Africa, France vs. Austria, and Canada vs. Slovenia in the women’s competition; and Italy vs. Mexico, France vs. Austria, and Canada vs. Slovenia in the men’s competition. Serbia has a bye.

THE GUIDE
Men’s tournament
Group A: Italy, France, Austria, Mexico (Tennis Forza e Costanza)
Group B: Canada, Serbia, Slovenia (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)
Women’s tournament
Group A: Italy, France, Austria, South Africa (Tennis Forza e Costanza)
Group B: Canada, Serbia, Slovenia (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)

ITALY’S LINEUPS
Men’s: Giovanni Fazio, Tommaso Migliorini, Tommaso Radic (Captain Maurizio Calcagno)
Women’s: Alice Carlinfante, Alice Cellai, Kristel Fantoni Kaba (Captain Verdiana Verardi)

THE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 7 to Thursday, July 9: qualifying rounds. Women’s matches starting at 8:45 AM. Men’s matches starting at 2:00 PM. Friday, July 10: men’s and women’s semifinals. Saturday, July 11: men’s and women’s finals. Each tie consists of three matches: two singles and one doubles. Admission is free.

Italy gets off to a good start at the 2026 Lampo Trophy: the girls beat South Africa, and the boys overcome Mexico.

Piedmont’s Kristel Fantoni Kaba, a key figure in Italy’s victory over South Africa (photo by Alvaro Maffeis)

Brescia – Italy 2, Rest of the World 0. The Italian national teams could not have asked for a better start to the Lampo Trophy, with both squads securing victories in their opening Group A matches at the Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 club. The Under-12 boys, led by Maurizio Calcagno, clinched their tie against Mexico during the singles matches, while the girls, led by Verdiana Verardi, required the doubles match to defeat South Africa; the outcome, however, was the same. In both instances, the young Italians secured their first three points—crucial in the battle to reach the semi-finals. On the competition’s opening day, the girls were the first to claim victory, spearheaded by Kristel Fantoni Kaba from Piedmont. She comfortably secured the opening point, conceding only one game to Haniela Hans De Andrade (6-1, 6-0), and later teamed up with Alice Carlinfante for the decisive doubles match—which became necessary after Alice Cellai’s loss to Liane Steyn. The Tuscan player appeared to have the match under control, but after winning the first set 6-2, she lost momentum; she dropped the second set by the same scoreline and ultimately fell 11-9 in the match tie-break (which replaces the third set), saving two match points against her opponent—rallying from 7-9 to 9-9—before succumbing on the third. However, as noted, Fantoni Kaba and Carlinfante set things right, defeating the pair of Hans De Andrade and Valks without dropping a single game.

The afternoon victory for the boys’ team—facing rivals Mexico—was even more straightforward. Across the two singles matches, the Italians dropped a mere five games, displaying clear technical and physical superiority. Sicilian Giovanni Fazio kicked things off by defeating his peer Luca Becerra 6-0, 6-1, while Tommaso Radic—son of former top-150 player Mario Radic—clinched the overall win; he successfully imposed a more powerful game against the tenacious Juan Pablo Rivera Ludtke, beating him 6-2, 6-2. With the tie already decided, the young Italians also claimed the doubles match, as Tommaso Radic and Tommaso Migliorini defeated the same two Mexicans who had played the singles (6-0, 6-1). Having secured their first victory, both Italian squads will aim for a second win on Wednesday in a double showdown against Austria (who won the boys’ tie but lost the girls’ tie, both against France). Like Italy, both Canadian teams also opened their Lampo Trophy campaigns with two victories, sweeping their respective ties against Slovenia on the courts of the Ospitaletto Tennis Center. As a reward, the two North American teams have a rest day; they will return to action on Thursday against Serbia, a team that is set to make its debut on Wednesday against Slovenia.

ALL THE DAY’S RESULTS

Women’s Tournament

GROUP A (Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911)
Italia b. Sudafrica 2-1
Kristel Fantoni Kaba (Ita) b. Haniela Hans De Andrade (Rsa) 6-1 6-0, Liane Steyn (Rsa) b. Alice Cellai (Ita) 2-6 6-2 11/9, Fantoni Kaba/Carlinfante (Ita) b. Hans De Andrade/Valks (Rsa) 6-0 6-0.

Francia b. Austria 3-0
Soline Choy (Fra) b. Katharina Zmek (Aut) 6-1 6-1, Rose Millon (Fra) b. Sophia Haslehner (Aut) 6-2 6-3, Millon/Vandeputte (Fra) b. Zmek/Zettl (Aut) 6-1 6-0.

GROUP B (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)
Canada b. Slovenia 2-1
Aleksandra Alymov (Can) b. Aleksandra Kranjc (Slo) 7-5 6-0, Tesa Savsek (Slo) b. Fiona Huang (Can) 6-0 6-1, Alymov/Yue (Can) b. Savsek/Senica (Slo) 2-6 6-1 10/4.

Bye: Serbia.

MEN’S TOURNAMENT

GROUP A (Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911)
Italia b. Messico 3-0
Giovanni Fazio (Ita) b. Luca Becerra (Mex) 6-0 6-1, Tommaso Radic (Ita) b. Juan Pablo Rivera Ludtke (Mex) 6-2 6-2, Radic/Migliorini (Ita) b. Becerra/Rivera Ludtke (Mex) 6-0 6-1.

Austria b. Francia 2-0 (in corso)
Victor Freitas (Aut) b. Edgar Margoline (Fra) 6-4 2-6 10/7, Teodor Mihai Vasile (Aut) b. Mateo Barachet (Fra) 4-6 6-0 10/7.
To be completed: Freitas/Daxer (AUT) vs. Barachet/Haehnel (FRA) doubles match.

GROUP B (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)
Canada b. Slovenia 2-0 (in corso)
Lucca Teixeira (Can) b. Tim Smej (Slo) 6-1 6-4, Daniel Marinov (Can) b. Niko Brolih (Slo) 6-4 6-2.
To be completed: double Marinov/Martin (Can) vs Sketalo/Smej (Slo).

Bye: Serbia.

THE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 7 to Thursday, July 9: qualifying rounds. Women’s matches start at 8:45 AM. Men’s matches start at 1:30 PM. Friday, July 10: men’s and women’s semifinals. Saturday, July 11: men’s and women’s finals. Each tie consists of three matches: two singles and one doubles. Admission is free.

The Italian women's team also beats Austria, returning to the Lampo Trophy semifinals for the first time in three years.

Italy’s Alice Carlinfante, a key player in Italy’s victory over Austria (photo by Alvaro Maffeis)

Brescia – For the Italian national team—a frequent contender in the Lampo Trophy—missing the girls’ semifinals in the last two editions left a bitter taste. This year, however, the Under-12 squad wasted no time in redeeming themselves, securing a spot among the competition’s top four with a full day to spare. This achievement was driven by victories in their first two matches on the courts of Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911: a 2-1 win over South Africa on Tuesday and another 2-1 victory over Austria on Wednesday—the latter achieved via a comeback. The Austrians had actually claimed the day’s opening point, as Alexandra Zettl defeated Kristel Fantoni Kaba 6-4, 7-5, prevailing thanks to her greater consistency during key moments. Yet, the threat of defeat never truly loomed large. In the second singles match, Alice Carlinfante (from Abruzzo) kept her rival Sophia Haslehner at bay, winning 6-2, 6-3, and once again, the doubles match sealed the victory for the Italian girls. While the lineup changed from the opening day—with captain Verdiana Verardi entrusting the match to Kristel Fantoni Kaba and Alice Cellai—the outcome remained the same. The Italian duo faced no significant trouble against Zmek and Haslehner, wrapping up a quick 6-1, 6-1 win that guaranteed their place in the semifinals. Meanwhile, in the other Group A match, France dominated South Africa (winning 3-0 and dropping only three games across the three matches), thereby mathematically securing their own semifinal berth.

This means that Thursday morning’s duel between Italy and France (also held at Tennis Forza e Costanza) will serve only to determine the group winner and runner-up; regardless of the outcome, both national teams will compete again on Friday. Meanwhile, in Group B at the Ospitaletto Tennis Center, Slovenia secured a victory, comfortably defeating Serbia 3–0 and reviving their hopes of reaching the semifinals. The Slovenians have a bye on Thursday, but a win for Canada over Serbia would guarantee them a spot in the final four. The situation is identical in the men’s Group B, as the Slovenian men’s team (who lost to Canada in their opener) also defeated Serbia 3–0 in Ospitaletto. The picture is more complex in the men’s Group A, where Austria claimed their second win in two days by beating Mexico 3–0, while France defeated Italy 2–1. The French took the lead thanks to Jules Haehnel’s victory over Giovanni Fazio (6–4, 7–6, rallying from 2–5 down in the second set), but Italy’s Tommaso Radic quickly leveled the score by beating Mateo Barachet 6–2, 6–0. France’s victory in the deciding doubles match (Haehnel and Margoline defeated Radic and Migliorini 7–6, 6–4) means the final standings will be decided on the last day of the group stage, with Italy facing Austria and France playing Mexico—both matches scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Brescia.

ALL THE DAY’S RESULTS

Women’s Tournament
GROUP A (Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911)
Italia b. Austria 2-1
Alexandra Zettl (Aut) b. Kristel Fantoni Kaba (Ita) 6-4 7-5, Alice Carlinfante (Ita) b. Sophia Haslehner (Aut) 6-2 6-3, Fantoni Kaba/Cellai (Ita) b. Zmek/Haslehner (Aut) 6-1 6-1.

Francia b. Sudafrica 3-0
Lilou Vandeputte (Fra) b. Liane Steyn (Rsa) 6-1 6-1, Rose Millon (Fra) b. Eline Valks (Rsa) 6-0 6-0, Millon/Choi (Fra) b. Hans De Andrade/Steyn (Rsa) 6-1 6-0.

GROUP B (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)
Slovenia b. Serbia 3-0
Julija Senica (Slo) b. Kalina Cvetkovic (Srb) 6-1 6-1, Tesa Savsek (Slo) b. Vis Mitic (Srb) 6-4 6-2, Kranjc/Senica (Slo) b. Ubovic/Cvetkovic (Srb) 6-4 6-0.

Bye: Canada.

MEN’S TOURNAMENT

GROUP A (Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911)
Francia b. Italia 2-1
Jules Haehnel (Fra) b. Giovanni Fazio (Ita) 6-4 7-6, Tommaso Radic (Ita) b. Mateo Barachet (Fra) 6-2 6-0, Haehnel/Margoline (Fra) b. Radic/Migliorini (Ita) 7-6 6-4.

Austria b. Messico 3-0
Victor Freitas (Aut) b. Luca Becerra (Mex) 6-0 6-0, Teodor Mihai Vasile (Aut) b. Juan Pablo Rivera Ludtke (Mex) 7-6 6-2, Vasile/Freitas (Aut) b. Rivera Ludtke/Becerra (Mex) 6-2 6-3.

GROUP B (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)
Slovenia b. Serbia 3-0
Tim Smej (Slo) b. Marko Kovacevic (Srb) 6-2 6-3, Niko Brolih (Slo) b. Stefan Kustorovic (Srb) 6-0 6-0, Brolih/Smej (Slo) b. Kovacevic/Kustorovic (Srb) 6-4 5-4 ritiro.

Bye: Canada.

THE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 7 to Thursday, July 9: qualifying rounds. Women’s matches start at 8:45 AM. Men’s matches start at 1:30 PM. Friday, July 10: men’s and women’s semifinals. Saturday, July 11: men’s and women’s finals. Each tie consists of three matches: two singles and one doubles. Admission is free.

Double defeat for Italy at the Lampo Trophy: boys eliminated, girls in the semi-final against Canada.

Austrian Victor Freitas: he scored one of the points that secured his national team’s victory over Italy (photo by Alvaro Maffeis).

Brescia – After a Tuesday featuring two victories and a mixed Wednesday with one win and one loss, Thursday proved to be a decidedly less happy day for the Italian Under-12 national teams competing in the 24th edition of the Lampo Trophy. In the morning, on the courts of Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911, Verdiana Verardi’s girls suffered a rather clear defeat against their French rivals (though they still qualified for the semifinals), while in the afternoon—also in Brescia—Maurizio Calcagno’s boys were beaten by Austria. It was a painful defeat; combined with the previous day’s loss to their French counterparts, it relegated the young Italians to third place in Group A, knocking them out of semifinal contention. The Italians put up a fight and had decent chances in both singles matches—especially the second—but the Austrians’ superiority shone through during the crucial moments, allowing them to finish top of the group with three wins out of three. Victor Freitas secured the opening point with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sicilian Giovanni Fazio, while Teodor Mihai Vasile won the second singles match, defeating Tommaso Radic 7-5, 7-5. Radic will rue the second set in particular, as he led 4-2 before his opponent staged a comeback. He deserves credit for fighting to the very end—even when running on empty—and saving a handful of match points along the way. However, the sixth match point proved decisive, sealing the victory for Austria and a semifinal spot against Slovenia. The other semifinal will see France—who beat Mexico today to finish second in Group A—face Canada, the Group B winners who defeated Serbia on the third day of play at the Ospitaletto Tennis Center.

In the girls’ competition, Italy had already secured a semi-final spot a day early thanks to victories over South Africa and Austria in their opening matches; however, they failed to clinch the top spot in Group A, losing the decisive clash against France 3–0. The Italian team did not win a single set, dropping the first singles match with Alice Carlinfante (beaten 6–1, 6–4 by Soline Choi) and the second with Alice Cellai (defeated 6–1, 6–1 by Rose Millon). With the overall victory already assured, the French pair of Millon and Vandeputte went on to win the doubles match as well, defeating Carlinfante and Fantoni Kaba 6–1, 6–4. Having finished second in the group, the Italian girls will play for a spot in the final on Friday morning against Canada, who secured first place in Ospitaletto with a 2–1 victory over Serbia. The other girls’ semi-final will be between France and Slovenia; the latter reached the final four thanks to their win over Serbia on Wednesday. From Friday onwards, the Lampo Trophy 2026 continues exclusively at the Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 club: the girls’ semi-finals start at 8:45 AM, followed by the boys’ semi-finals at 1:30 PM.

ALL THE DAY’S RESULTS

Women’s Tournament

GROUP A (Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911)
Francia b. Italia 3-0
Soline Choi (Fra) b. Alice Carlinfante (Ita) 6-1 6-4, Rose Millon (Fra) b. Alice Cellai (Ita) 6-1 6-1, Millon/Vandeputte (Fra) b. Carlinfante/Fantoni Kaba (Ita) 6-1 6-4.

Austria b. Sudafrica 3-0
Alexandra Zettl (Aut) b. Haniela Hans De Andrade (Rsa) 6-0 6-1, Katharina Zmek (Aut) b. Liane Steyn (Rsa) 7-5 6-4, Zettl/Haslehner (Aut) b. Hans De Andrade/Steyn (Rsa) 7-6 6-3.

Final standings: 1. France, 2. Italy, 3. Austria, 4. South Africa.

GROUP B (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)
Canada b. Serbia 3-0
Aleksandra Alymov (Can) b. Kalina Cvetkovic (Srb) 6-4 6-1, Visnja Mitic (Srb) b. Fiona Huang (Can) 6-3 6-0, Wai Bo Yue/Alymov (Can) b. Mitic/Cvetkovic (Srb) 6-3 7-5.

Bye: Slovenia.

Final standings: 1. Canada, 2. Slovenia, 3. Serbia.

MEN’S TOURNAMENT

GROUP A (Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911)
Austria b. Italia 2-0 (in corso)
Victor Freitas (Aut) b. Giovanni Fazio (Ita) 6-3 6-4, Teodor Mihai Vasile (Aut) b. Tommaso Radic (Ita) 7-5 7-5.
To be completed: Fazio/Migliorini (ITA) vs. Freitas/Daxer (AUT) doubles match.

Francia b. Messico 2-0 (in corso)
Edgar Margoline (Fra) b. Luca Becerra (Mex) 6-0 6-3, Jules Haehnel (Fra) b. Juan Pablo Rivera Ludtke (Mex) 6-1 6-3.
To be completed: Margoline/Barachet (FRA) vs. Becerra/Rivera Ludtke (MEX).

Final standings: 1. Austria, 2. France, 3. Italy, 4. Mexico.

GROUP B (Ospitaletto Tennis Center)

Canada b. Serbia 2-0 (in corso)
Jordan Martin (Can) b. Marko Kovacevic (Srb) 6-4 4-6 10/7, Daniel Marinov (Can) b. Stefan Kustorovic (Srb) 6-0 6-1.
To be completed: double Vujicic/Kovacevic (Srb) vs Marinov/Teixeira (Can).

Bye: Slovenia.

Final standings: 1. Canada, 2. Slovenia, 3. Serbia.

THE SCHEDULE
Friday, July 10: Men’s and women’s semifinals. Women’s matches start at 8:45 AM. Men’s matches start at 1:30 PM. Saturday, July 11: Men’s and women’s finals. Each tie consists of three matches: two singles and one doubles. Admission is free.

No final for Italy at the Lampo Trophy. The title matches will be Canada vs. France in the women's event and Slovenia vs. France in the men's.

Wilma Wai Bo Yue, a key player in Canada’s victory over Italy at the Lampo Trophy (photo by Alvaro Maffeis)

Brescia – Italy remains by far the nation with the most Lampo Trophy titles—around fifteen across the boys’ and girls’ events—but the list of Italian victories will not grow this year. After the boys were eliminated in the group stage, the girls also failed to reach the final, losing 2-0 in the semifinals to their Canadian rivals. It was expected to be a tough challenge for the Under-12 team captained by Verdiana Verardi, and the Centre Court at Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 confirmed the North American squad’s superiority; the tie was effectively decided by the end of the singles matches. Much—if not everything—hinged on the first match, where Alice Carlinfante (from Abruzzo) seemed poised for victory against Wilma Wai Bo Yue; she even led 7-2 in the deciding match tie-break (played to 10 points) that replaces the third set. However, the Canadian refused to give an inch; she cut down on errors and patiently mounted a winning comeback, capitalizing on the Italian player’s collapse to claim eight of the match’s final nine points, ultimately winning 3-6, 6-2, 10-8. Her victory boosted the morale and confidence of her teammate Aleksandra Alymov, who had already won her first two singles matches in the competition (during the group stage at the Ospitaletto Tennis Center). Alymov went on to secure a relatively comfortable win in her third match, defeating Alice Cellai 6-3, 6-2 and sealing Italy’s elimination. In Saturday morning’s final, the Canadians will face their French counterparts, who won their semifinal 2-0 against Slovenia thanks to victories by Lilou Vandeputte over Aleksandra Kranjc (6-4, 6-0) and Rose Millon over Tesa Savsek (6-1, 6-1).

Also on Saturday morning—concurrently with the women’s final—the French national team will compete in the men’s tournament final, aiming to repeat the Lampo Trophy double-victory they last achieved in 2014. They earned their spot by winning Friday’s most evenly matched tie in Brescia, defeating rivals Canada 2–1. The Europeans got off to a strong start with Edgar Margoline’s victory over Lucca Teixeira (6–0, 2–6, 10–6), but the North Americans leveled the score thanks to Daniel Marinov; he made it 1–1 by overcoming a height disadvantage of at least 20 centimeters against Mateo Barachet, whom he beat 6–3, 4–6, 10–3. However, the deciding doubles match went to the French, as the pair of Haehnel and Margoline overpowered the duo of Marinov and Martin, winning 6–0, 6–2. Surprisingly, France will not face Austria in the final—despite the Austrians having dominated Group A in Brescia with three wins—but rather the underdog Slovenian Under-12 team, who pulled off a stunning upset that afternoon. The stars of this remarkable feat were Tim Smej and Niko Brolih, who defeated Victor Freitas (6–3, 6–2) and Teodor Mihai Vasile (4–6, 6–3, 10–3) respectively, dashing Austria’s hopes of reclaiming the title they had previously won in 2022. Both finals in Brescia kick off at 9:00 AM on Saturday, with free admission.

“ATLETI AL TUO FIANCO” AT THE LAMPO TROPHY
“Atleti al tuo fianco” was present at the Lampo Trophy. Throughout the week of competition, Dr. Alberto Tagliapietra—a surgeon and the national head of the Arenbì ODV initiative—explained to young tennis players and national team staff the importance of the sports community standing by those facing cancer. This aligns with the mission of the project, launched years ago to raise awareness about the value of physical presence and emotional support in oncology. Additionally, Dr. Tagliapietra presented a T-shirt belonging to professional tennis player Enrico Dalla Valle to young Canadian player Daniel Marinov, who was selected from among the participants for his tenacity; it was a special award intended to promote a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity—both on the tennis court and in life.

ALL THE DAY’S RESULTS

Women’s Tournament
SEMIFINALS
Canada b. Italia 2-0
Wilma Wai Bo Yue (Can) b. Alice Carlinfante (Ita) 3-6 6-2 10/8, Aleksandra Alymov (Can) b. Alice Cellai (Ita) 6-3 6-2.
Francia b. Slovenia 2-0
Lilou Vandeputte (Fra) b. Aleksandra Kranjc (Slo) 6-4 6-0, Rose Millon (Fra) b. Tesa Savsek (Slo) 6-1 6-1.

MEN’S TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINALS
Slovenia b. Austria 2-0
Tim Smej (Slo) b. Victor Freitas (Aut) 6-3 6-2, Niko Brolih (Slo) b. Teodor Mihai Vasile (Aut) 4-6 6-3 10/3.
Francia b. Canada 2-1
Edgar Margoline (Fra) b. Lucca Teixeira (Can) 6-0 2-6 10/6, Daniel Marinov (Can) b. Mateo Barachet (Fra) 6-3 4-6 10/3, Haehnel/Margoline (Fra) b. Marinov/Martin (Can) 6-0 6-2.

THE SCHEDULE
Saturday, July 11: men’s and women’s finals, starting at 9:00 AM. Each tie consists of three matches: two singles and one doubles. Admission is free.

France sweeps the Lampo Trophy: a men's and women's double, just like in 2014.

The women’s awards ceremony for the 2026 edition of the Lampo Trophy, won by France in the final against Canada (photo by Alvaro Maffeis)

Brescia – The 2026 edition of the Lampo Trophy—the twenty-fourth running of the highly acclaimed Tennis Europe under-12 team competition—was a French affair. On the courts of Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 in Brescia, the French squads claimed both the boys’ and girls’ titles, repeating a feat they had last achieved in 2014. Having gone without a victory in either category since then, they returned in style this year, proving themselves the strongest of all the competing nations. The boys were the first to secure the title; their week in Brescia had actually begun with a 2–1 loss to their Austrian rivals. That proved to be their only defeat, however, as the team captained by Franck Cabanes went on to beat Italy, Mexico, Canada, and finally Slovenia—defeating the latter 2–0 in Saturday morning’s final. It was a one-sided contest, with the French players proving clearly superior, led by Jules Haehnel—son of former top-100 player Jerome Haehnel, best remembered for a stunning upset over Andre Agassi at the 2004 Roland Garros—and the towering Mateo Barachet. Haehnel relied on technical quality and a disciplined game to defeat Tim Smej 6–3, 6–1, while Barachet utilized a heavy ball—already at an adult level, particularly on his serve and forehand—to deny time and space to the talented Slovenian Niko Brolih. He needed less than 90 minutes to wrap up a 6–2, 6–3 victory, securing France’s second-ever boys’ title in the competition.

The girls, meanwhile, secured their fourth victory (following wins in 2009, 2010, and 2014), once again winning the final against Canada 2-0. While the match promised to be a close contest, the Europeans proved to be a cut above, winning without dropping a set in two matches that each lasted around two hours. Soline Choy delivered the day’s first point, defeating Aleksandra Alymov 6-3, 6-4, while in the second singles match, Rose Millon conceded only a handful of games to Fiona Huang, dictating play with her left-handed forehand against an opponent unable to find the right counter-tactics. “Another successful edition of our event has come to a close,” said Gianni Capacchietti, the driving force and director of the Lampo Trophy. “France was crowned the winner, proving superior to all their rivals. The outcome is undeniably positive: everything ran smoothly, and we must thank all the staff members, our sponsors, the two host clubs (Tennis Forza e Costanza 1911 and Centro Tennis Ospitaletto), and everyone who collaborated on the event. During the week, we also had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from the Chinese federation, who expressed an interest in participating in the next edition. We are delighted by this, as it serves as further proof of the Lampo Trophy’s quality. We will reach our 25th edition in 2027, but we aren’t stopping there; we are already working on plans for another major team event to launch as early as next year.”

“ATLETI AL TUO FIANCO” AT THE LAMPO TROPHY
“Atleti al tuo fianco” was present at the Lampo Trophy. Throughout the week of competition, Dr. Alberto Tagliapietra—a surgeon and the national head of the Arenbì ODV initiative—explained to young tennis players and national team staff the importance of the sports community standing by those facing cancer. This aligns with the mission of the project, launched years ago to raise awareness about the value of physical presence and emotional support in oncology. Additionally, Dr. Tagliapietra presented a T-shirt belonging to professional tennis player Enrico Dalla Valle to young Canadian player Daniel Marinov, who was selected from among the participants for his tenacity; it was a special award intended to promote a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity—both on the tennis court and in life.

ALL THE DAY’S RESULTS

Men’s Final
Francia b. Slovenia 2-0
Jules Haehnel (Fra) b. Tim Smej (Slo) 6-3 6-1, Mateo Barachet (Fra) b. Niko Brolih (Slo) 6-2 6-3.

Women’s Final
Francia b. Canada 2-0
Soline Choy (Fra) b. Aleksandra Alymov (Can) 6-3 6-4, Rose Millon (Fra) b. Fiona Huang (Can) 6-3 6-2.

Relive the excitement of the Lampo Trophy 2025.