World-class professional tennis comes to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown’s doorstep as Beckett Park hosts wildcard play-off tournament for the 2026 DLR Irish Open.
Tennis Ireland to host first women’s W50 tournament in over 40 years, as part of an upgraded 2026 DLR Irish Open.
New Play-off tournament to decide final wild card places, offering Ireland’s leading women players a rare and valuable route into a W50-level event on home soil.
Local sports fans are in for a treat this weekend, as Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown’s (DLR) Beckett Park gets set to host Tennis Ireland’s first women’s wild card play-off tournament, for the 2026 DLR Irish Open. The playoff tournament will take place on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, from 10am, with free entry, and spectators are very welcome.
This year’s DLR Irish Open marks a landmark moment for Irish tennis, with the women’s event upgraded to World Tennis Tour W50 status — the first time in over 40 years that Tennis Ireland will host a women’s tournament at this level — while the men’s event runs concurrently as a World Tennis Tour M15.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council joins this year’s DLR Irish Open as title partner of the tournament, cementing their important role in supporting the World Tennis Tour’s return to Ireland.
This weekend, DLR’s Beckett Park will become the stage for Ireland’s best female players competing for a career-defining opportunity to earn a wildcard entry into Tennis Ireland’s newly upgraded World Tennis Tour W50 tournament. It’s a rare chance for families, young players and tennis fans alike to watch the best Irish women tennis players up close, for free.
The play-off decides the final wild card places in the women’s draw, with the winners securing direct entry into the 2026 DLR Irish Open at Carrickmines Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club. It offers Ireland’s leading women’s players a rare and valuable route into a W50-level tournament draw without having to travel abroad.
Kevin Quinn, CEO of Tennis Ireland, said:
“This is a brilliant opportunity for people to see world-class Irish tennis on their own doorstep, completely free of charge, the week before the World Tennis Tour returns to Carrickmines Croquet & Lawn Tennis Club. DLR’s Beckett Park will be buzzing this weekend with some of Ireland’s best women’s players competing to earn their place in the DLR Irish Open’s W50 draw, and it’s the perfect way for local families, fans and young players to get a taste of what’s coming. We are hugely grateful for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s support, which has made this new play-off event possible, and it’s a fantastic curtain-raiser to the 2026 DLR Irish Open at Carrickmines, in what promises to be a landmark year for Irish tennis.”
Councillor Barry Saul, An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said:
“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is proud to support the DLR Irish Open and to welcome this exciting new wildcard play-off tournament to Beckett Park. This event gives Ireland’s leading women tennis players a unique opportunity to compete for a place in a world-class W50 tournament on home soil, while also bringing elite sport directly into the heart of our community. It is wonderful to see Beckett Park hosting such a high-calibre competition, with free access for local families, young players and sports fans to experience top-level tennis up close. As title partner of the DLR Irish Open, the Council is committed to promoting participation in sport and supporting opportunities that inspire the next generation of athletes. We look forward to an exciting weekend of competition and to welcoming players and spectators to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown for what promises to be a landmark year for Irish tennis.”
Play gets under way at 10am Saturday morning at Beckett Park, with the finals and presentation of wild cards taking place on Sunday afternoon. Spectators are welcome across both days, with admission free throughout.
Event details
10am Saturday 18 and 10am Sunday 19 July 2026
Beckett Park, Castle Street,
Dublin 18, D18 P2DH,
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.
Free admission for spectators — all welcome
Tickets for the DLR Irish Open starting July 26th are available here!
