Returning for the first time since 2019, the LTA's Junior Home Nations Tennis Championships welcomes the highest level of British Junior competitors – and six players from Penarth and Cardiff are among the selected few to represent Wales

Outside of the Commonwealth Youth Games, the Junior Home Nations is the only opportunity for young, Welsh tennis stars to represent their country – and six promising local players will follow in the footsteps of international tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray to compete for a Junior Home Nations Title.

The elite tennis tournament for ages 10 – 18 will take place at Corby Tennis Centre, 24th – 26th September.

The 16 players selected to represent Wales – with six of the players from Cardiff and Penarth – have a lot to live up to: Team Wales has successfully won the past two junior tournaments in Belfast and Wrexham in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Following such success, many of the players are more excited than ever to return to the competitive court.

18-year-old Alicia Loosemore from Cardiff knows what it's like to represent her country on a national level: she is part of the third generation in her family that have played at the Junior Home Nations.

With family ties to tennis and this tournament, her drive to help Wales win for a third time is strong. Alicia said: "I am very honoured to be selected to represent Wales at Home nations and I am really looking forward to competing at the event with the rest of the team."

Fellow competitor, 12 year old Evan Lendum from Penarth, is also thrilled to be representing Wales. Evan said: "I am very excited to be part of Team Wales in the Junior Home Nations, which is such a unique and special event in the tennis calendar."

In the older age category, sports star Hugo Cochlin has become the only player from his tennis club [Cardiff Castle] to be selected for Junior Home Nations five times. The 17-year-old is looking to help Wales achieve the win, just like he did in 2018. Hugo said: "I look forward to playing in JHN event as I get to represent my country in a team environment."

Mark Lewis, Competition and Events Manager at Tennis Wales, said: "The Junior Home Nations is a fantastic opportunity for young, Welsh players to showcase the talent we have in this great nation. We're excited to see everyone bring their a-game and hopefully we will come away with a win for the third year in a row.

"It's incredible to see the talent coming out of Cardiff and the surrounding areas. The players are a credit to their clubs, coaches, and nation. With the players attending from a variety of clubs across the Cardiff region, it's a great opportunity to come together for Wales."

The Junior Home Nations competition has around 50 players participating each year. The job of hosting the event rotates annually around each of the four nations, with this year being England's turn to do so after Wales hosted in 2019.