Entries to the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships 2026 are OPEN!

With the Men’s and Women’s Singles qualifying rounds to be played on the first day of the event, it promises to be a spectacular competition as players battle to join the top seeds in the main draw – all while providing rich entertainment to hundreds of spectators.

All entrants must have more than 200 Senior ranking points, or be dummied with more than 200 points, as of the entry deadline of 11.59pm on Wednesday 18 February.

Entries are on a first come, first served basis, with the exception of the top 50 Senior Men and top 32 Senior Women, who have protected spaces – but must still enter before the deadline.

Any eligible player can also enter the doubles categories, with up to 16 pairs in each category, and priority going to pairings with the highest combined ranking points.

Prize money for the Nationals has been increased by £2,000 thanks to our title sponsors, Mark Bates Ltd. The Men’s and Women’s Singles champions will each win £1,800 and the total prize money is £13,950.

Ticket details will be released in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on our website, email communications and social media to find out how to book your place in the crowd!

How will the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships work?

• The qualifying stage is on Friday 20 March, 2026, with the main draw starting on Saturday 21 March and Finals Day on the Sunday.
• The number of automatic invitations will be reduced from 16 to seven, plus one wildcard
• The seven automatic invitations will be based on the January ranking list
• Everyone entered in the qualifying stage will compete for the remaining 24 places, with the main draw starting from the last 32
• The Mixed Doubles competition starts on the Friday and the Men’s and Women’s Doubles on the Saturday
• The Mixed Doubles final, which has previously been held on the Saturday, will now be part of Finals Day
• There are no changes to the para categories, with six players from each para class (2-5 & 6-10), being invited based on BPTT selections – invites will be issued in January

The event documentation can be downloaded at the foot of this page, or via the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships homepage.

The changes, approved by the Competitions Committee, are designed to create an even more vibrant atmosphere, showcasing a wider range of talent and giving more players the chance to experience competing in front of spectators on the sport’s biggest national stage. For fans, it means more matches, more drama, and more reasons to be part of the action.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest Nationals news, entry details and ticket information? Make sure you’re signed up via the form at the foot of this page, check out our membership options and follow us on social media.

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