Davis Cup stars and top level European women headline the 2026 DLR Irish Open
By Stephen Higgins
In a bumper summer for Irish tennis, one tour level event has been swiftly followed by another as top professionals from home and abroad compete at Carrickmines CLTC this week in the 2026 DLR Irish Open.
Six weeks on from the Dublin Challenger at Elm Park, Irish fans will once again get to see their Davis Cup stalwarts with Michael Agwi, Conor Gannon and Ammar Elamin in action.
Gannon will hope to build on his excellent showing in Donnybrook where he upset former top 20 player Bernard Tomic. Meanwhile, Agwi was the runner-up here 12 months ago after a week of brilliant performances. They are part of a group of 10 Irish men competing in the main draw of the Irish Open.
The now upgraded W50 women’s event features a strong field that includes two former top 50 players in Viktoria Hruncakova and Urszula Radwanska. Last year’s runner-up Victoria Allen is also in the draw along with four Irish women: Rachel Deegan, Aisling O’Connor, Laura Carvalho E Silva Kracke, and the 2017 finalist, Sinead Lohan.
Men’s Draw
There is a very Irish feel to the DLR Irish Open men’s event this year with ten home players involved in the main draw of 32.
Davis Cup regulars Michael Agwi, Conor Gannon and Ammar Elamin are joined by qualifiers Michael Wright, James McLoughlin and Daniel Borisovv; and the wildcards Andrew Gaule, Cian Maguire, Dylan Leeman and Freddy Murray.
Agwi, the Irish no.1 and last year’s finalist, will play Zach Stephens of Great Britain in his opener. The Irishman is currently ranked just inside the top 800 having reached a peak of 407 in 2024. Meanwhile, his 20-year-old opponent sits just outside the top 1,000 and has struggled for victories on the ITF circuit this year.
Agwi is seeded fourth here with France’s Robin Catry the highest-ranked player in the draw at no.604. The 24-year-old from Roubaix recently made the quarter-finals of an M25 in Ajaccio, and lifted an M15 trophy at Lannion in February
Arvid Nordquist (6) and Markus Molder (7) are the remaining seeds in the top half. Nordquist of Sweden sits just outside the top 800 and has had a good run recently with an ITF title in Pakistan, and a final in China. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Molder captured an M15 title in Egypt earlier this summer.
World no.603 Daniel De Jonge is the second seed at Carrickmines and leads the bottom half. The 26-year-old has been a force on the ITF circuit in 2026 with three titles already. In his last triumph at Monastir, De Jonge defeated Gannon in three sets.
The remaining seeds are Matt Ponchet (3), Dimitris Azoidis (5) and Pavlos Tsitsipas (8). The latter, a younger brother of Stefanos, made the quarter-finals here 12 months ago before falling to Agwi.
Gannon, who’s at 1,031 in the ATP rankings, has been drawn against Lorenzo Lorusso in the first round. The Italian 26-year-old sits at a similar rank to the Irishman so this should be a competitive affair. Elamin meanwhile takes on the unranked French teenager Aaron Gabet.
There may be potential for Irish cheer elsewhere as James McLoughlin takes on a fellow qualifier, while a home victory is guaranteed in the clash between Freddy Murray and Daniel Borisov.
Women’s Draw
The top seed at Carrickmines is 18-year-old Vendula Valdmannova, who’s ranked 193rd in the world. The Czechia player has had a strong 2026 with W50 title wins at Roehampton and Lopota, Georgia.
Valdmannova was a top 15 junior who twice made the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Girls’ event so she must feel comfortable on this type of surface. The 18–year-old is joined in the top half by seeds Valentina Ryser (4), Weronika Falkowska (6) and Stephanie Judith Visscher (8).
25-year-old Ryser is ranked no.284 in the world and hails from Switzerland. She won a W35 in Spain earlier this month and also made the final of a W100 in Japan in May. Falkowska has also had a great year on the ITF circuit with four titles including a recent W35. As for Visscher, she is also a title winner this season with a W35 trophy from Sharm El Sheikh in April.
There’s some added glamour in this half with the presence of Urszula Radwanska, who was once a top 30 performer, and last year’s finalist, Victoria Allen.
The bottom half is led by the second seed, 23-year-old Alicia Dudeney. The Hove native is ranked 224th in the world and has come into red hot form of late. She has won five ITF titles since March including the Nottingham W50 this month.
The Brit will have strong competition from the former top 40 player and third seed, Viktoria Hruncakova (née Kuzmova). The 28-year-old Slovak has reached a couple of ITF finals this season and beat former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in the qualifying of Roland Garros.
The remaining seeds in this half are Viktoria Morvayova (5) and Britt Du Pree (7). Morvayova is a top 300 player while Du Pree is a rising 19-year-old who has put together some good results in 2026.
While E Silva Kracke and Deegan have been drawn against seeds, Sinead Lohan and Aisling O’Connor will hope for upsets against Amelia Rajecki and Rose Marie Nijkamp respectively.
Access all the draws, results and order of play for the Men’s and Women’s events.
