ARC Summer Open Writeup

ARC Summer Open

The ARC Summer Open for Adults and Juniors continued this year in its usual week. The weather was rather disappointing after weeks of sunshine. We lost one day totally to rain and gale force winds. Thank you to all our competitors who were so understanding when we had to re-schedule, shorten formats and remove consolation draws! There were 31 different events, 9 days of competition,  212 entrants, 381 matches played and competitors aged from 5 to over 80! The week began with Mens and Ladies Vets doubles which was fiercely fought by both sexes! Thursday saw 66 children U8, U9 & U10 on site for all the singles events, and  we were able to have separate boys and girls events in all 3 age groups, these could not have happened without the help of our great team of Junior volunteers who were on court scoring:   Jayden, Oscar, Ryan, Daisy, Nathan, Will and Ryan. Thanks also must go to Brayan’s Dad Douglas Neagle who also ran an event for us

The highlight of the week had to be the Red Doubles; 6 competitors, sponge balls, a mini red court and lots of prizes to play for. (see results below)

Events for older juniors were well supported and the compass draws meant that everyone found their own level in the end. It was great to attract enough girls to hold both singles and doubles events in some age groups this year. Children travelled from as far away as Manchester, Suffolk and Kent to compete here. 31 children from ARC entered!

ARC players who claimed trophies:

U8 Doubles Winners Brayan & Cara-Rae,  RU Harry and Rupert

U9 Doubles Winners Lydia Smale & Dylan Crighton

12 & U Boys Singles Iseo Gould

U14 Boys Singles Winner Nathan Fox

U14 Boys Doubles RU Rufus Underwood & Oscar Lovelock

U16 Boys Singles Winner Jayden Lovelock

U18 Boys Doubles Winner Jayden Lovelock

U18 Girls Doubles Winner Daisy Parsons

Winsome Trophy for Most Improved and successful ARC Junior in this tournament Jayden Lovelock who won 3 titles and was Runner Up in the Mens Singles

The adult tournament did not disappoint with its late night doubles of a very high standard, spectators wrapped in blankets and the cakes and drinks going down well. Again competition was fierce, both from the home club and visitors from away. The Men’s Singles Title this year went to ARC member Emerson Styles for the 5th time, who fought off 14 year old ARC member Jayden Lovelock, playing in his first Open Final at ARC. The young pretenders in the form of Jayden & Freddie took the Mens Doubles trophy away, despite the more experienced players giving them a run for their money. The last final of the tournament ended up in a Match Tiebreak with Ilfracombe pair Ali and Andrew Swinton taking the Mixed Vets’ Title again for the second year running..  

ARC players who won trophies:

Mens’ Singles  Winner Emerson Styles  R U Jayden Lovelock

Ladies Singles RU Katie Rowe

Mens Doubles Winners Jayden & Freddie, RU Charlie Sullivan & Dave Thresher

Ladies Doubles Winner Teresa Poole RU Helen O’Toole & Katie Rowe

Mixed Doubles Vets’ RU Denise & Andrew Koval

Ladies Vets’ Winner  Cath Andrews & Jinny Stapley, RU Helen O’Toole

Mens Vets’ Winners Andy Koval & Damon Reed, RU Martyn Beer & Kevin Hooper

Mixed Doubles  Katie Rowe & Alistair Prades, RU Cath Andrews & Damon Reed

If you missed out on all the fun this time, make sure you enter the next weeklong tournament which is the ARC Winter Open October 25th to November 2nd – save the date now!

Remember all events are either Compass Draw or Round Robin so you get to play 3 or 4 matches and only need to commit one  day or 2 evenings!

Also coming soon for ARC members The ARC Club Championships for all our sports.

Details available soon!

Free Open Day - Sat 12th July 2025

Our Next Open Day - SAT 12TH JULY 2025!

Join us at Atlantic Racquet Centre on Saturday 12th July for our FREE FAMILY OPEN DAY! No booking required, simply come along and enjoy guaranteed fun whatever the weather!

We’ll be running free taster sessions for all ages across our facilities including fitness classes, tennis, badminton, pickleball, squash, and table tennis. If you don’t want to join in with an organised session don’t worry, the facilities will also be open of free family usage, including free use of our gym for those over 16. There’ll be so much to do with something for everyone, with a BBQ and drinks on offer all afternoon.

All racquet courts will be open for you to play with your friends & family, with all equipment provided free of charge.

If you’ve never been to ARC before, this is the perfect opportunity to see what we’ve got on offer. As a thank you for joining us on the day, we’re giving away ONE FREE MONTH OF MEMBERSHIP to those who sign up on the day. This incredible offer will be available for new members only and on this day only so make sure you come along to benefit from it.

Timetable of Activities

Below you’ll find the timings for all of the fun activities that we’ve got going on during ARC Open Day. Don’t forget to sign up to our Monthly newsletter to get the latest news and exclusive ARC offers sent direct to your mailbox. Sign up here.

Member Appreciation Day 2025

🎉 Member Appreciation Day 2025 – You're Invited!

At ARC, our members are at the heart of everything we do—and we want to say a huge thank you for your continued support. That’s why we’re thrilled to invite all ARC members to our Member Appreciation Day 2025, taking place on Friday 11th July from 6pm to 10pm.

This special evening is all about celebrating our amazing community with a relaxed, fun-filled event packed with activities, food, and exclusive perks just for you.

What’s Happening on the Day?

🌭 Free BBQ & Drink
All members will receive a complimentary BBQ meal and drink as a token of our appreciation. Bring your appetite and enjoy some delicious food on us!

🏋️ Free Workshops & Classes
Try something new or join your favourite session—our team will be running a variety of free workshops and classes throughout the evening. The evening will include activities for children too.

🎾 Full Facility Access – On Us!
Regardless of your membership type, you’ll have free access to all ARC facilities during the event. Whether you’re usually a gym-goer, a racquet sports enthusiast, or just curious to explore, this is your chance to enjoy everything we offer.

🏓 Open Club Play Sessions
From 7pm to 10pm, our usual club play sessions will be taking place but will be free and open to all members regardless of membership type. All capacity limits will also be removed for the evening. Come along and play tennis, squash, badminton, pickleball, or table tennis with fellow members in a friendly, social setting.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Friendly
We’re also welcoming members’ families to join in the fun! While family members are welcome to enjoy the facilities and atmosphere, please note that BBQ food for non-members will be available for purchase.

No Booking Required

Just turn up and enjoy the evening—no need to book in advance. Whether you stay for an hour or the whole event, we’d love to see you there.

This is our way of saying thank you for being part of the ARC family. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

We’ll be releasing more info in the coming weeks so watch this space!

LGBTQ+ MAKE A RACKET FEST IS BACK!

LGBTQ+ MAKE A RACKET FEST IS BACK! - JUNE 2025

May 30th 2025

ARC will once again be hosting our LGBTQ+ Make A Racket Festival to welcome LGBTQ+ people and allies from across Devon to join us for a fabulous afternoon of sports activities. This is a perfect opportunity for people to come together in a fun, safe, supportive and welcoming environment, and to experience and enjoy racquet sports in a friendly atmosphere amongst likeminded people.

Our Make A Racket Festival will take place on Sunday 15th June from 1pm-4pm, and is open to all - no previous racquet sports experience is required! There will be something on offer for everyone including the opportunity to try tennis, badminton, table tennis, pickleball and squash with pumping music and prizes throughout the afternoon. The event is always super friendly and inclusive with all equipment provided free of charge.

Tickets are only £5.00 per person and can be booked now by clicking here.

Walk-ins are welcome on the day, but places are limited so we reccomend booking in advance.