IC Great Britain - IC Denmark - IC Sweden

24-30 June 2025

IC Great Britain - IC Denmark - IC Sweden, Triangular at Edgbaston, St George’s Hill and Roehampton – June 2025

IC Match: Great Britain vs IC Sweden and vs. IC Denmark – 24-30 June 2025

Wow – what a fantastic week of tennis, friendship, and fairytales

Reflections

Some might say that “Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean” are just words. But words are never just words – they are manifestations of our intentions in life, of what we want to do and how we aspire to be.

So, what is “hands across the net” a manifestation of? What does it mean to shake hands with your (up until now) opponent?

In many ways, it is the greatest act of humanity. That moment – when hands reach across the net, when opponents look one another in the eye and say “thank you” – is the embodiment of everything tennis is about. Everything life is about.

The “thank you” in the handshake should not be underestimated. It expresses our recognition that we need strong, fierce opponents to grow. It is gratitude for someone who has just given us the opportunity to strive for our best by exposing our limits and opening our potential.

Tennis is not about winning – it’s about competing. “Hands across the net” reminds us of that. And it also reminds us that life is bigger than the match we’ve just played. It reminds us to be respectful, forgiving and kind to the person who, only moments ago, challenged us to our limits.

Shaking hands is the act that ends wars – between nations, between people, and even within ourselves. Always remember to shake hands.

Thank you to the IC for reminding us of this through the motto “Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean.” And thank you to the IC of Great Britain for embodying these words throughout this special event. Thank you for being our friends across the ocean – for welcoming us, and for sharing your courts and competition with us.

Edgbaston, St. George’s Hill and Roehampton – a sincere and heartfelt thank you for welcoming us into your fairytale lands, and for being such generous hosts. Grass courts of the standard we played on throughout the week are a rare sight, and we all felt privileged to be among those who got to experience them.

“There are no bad bounces, only bad footwork,” we were told from the start. If that’s true, then our footwork exceeded all expectations! If we may, we’d also like to extend our gratitude to the grass courts at all three clubs – thank you for making our footwork look so good. To most Danish players, grass courts – and the history they carry – are pure fairytale. It is not something we encounter in our tennis reality. Stepping onto a real grass court is like stepping into a dream.

It has been a truly memorable and enriching experience. Maybe we arrived as Vikings, but we returned home as gentlemen – not with gold in our pockets, but with grass on our shoes and friendships in our hearts.

Our Week in Brief: Danish IC at the Triangular in England

Tuesday - Edbagston Priory Club

A team of 13 Danish players arrived in Birmingham on Tuesday 24 June, – some early enough to practise for hours in the sun ahead of the Triangular fixture starting the next day at Edgbaston Priory Club. From the outset, we found ourselves immersed in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, kicked off by an informal barbecue at the club that evening.

Wednesday - Edbagston Priory Club

Following a detailed Captain’s Meeting, the 25 players and organisers were ready to start the matches at 11:00. The format was four rounds of one-set matches across singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The event took place on beautiful grass courts in almost 30°C sunshine. We fought hard and managed to win 7 out of 18 matches against a very strong GB team, featuring players with both high national and ITF rankings. During the day, we enjoyed a buffet lunch in the club lounge, and in the evening, ICGB hosted a lovely formal dinner with heartfelt speeches and an exchange of gifts.

Thursday - the home of lawn tennis, Birmingham

On our coach journey to London, we made a stop at Stratford-upon-Avon – home of William Shakespeare – for lunch. But first, we had the privilege of visiting the home of the first-ever lawn tennis court, located at a private residence near Edgbaston. The Danish team played on the original court using vintage rackets, and we enjoyed a fascinating presentation about the history of lawn tennis.

Friday - St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club

We arrived at St George’s Hill, where the IC of Sweden joined the fixture. On the club’s stunning six grass courts, situated in front of the clubhouse, we again played one-set matches starting at 11:00. At the triangular fixture in St George, Denmark delivered a strong overall performance and finished second, just behind Great Britain, who won 53% of the matches. The Danish team secured several impressive singles victories and competed closely in the doubles. Great Britain went on to win the overall fixture by securing a victory in their match against Sweden. The day concluded with a spectacular dinner at St George’s Hill, where the results were shared and the shared passion for the sport generated another great evening.

Saturday - All England Lawn Tennis Club

A huge thank you to the IC of Great Britain and AELTC for granting us access to the holy halls of tennis – the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon – on Friends & Family Day. What a wonder that place is! And when the world’s best players fill its grounds, it truly feels like heaven.

For the entire day, we had the privilege of watching the pros train and prepare for The Championships. We saw them all from the top-seeded players to the qualifiers and first-timers. We proudly supported our four (!) Danish players in the main draw – a historic first. Though it stung a little to see what real footwork looks like, the experience was unforgettable.

Sunday - Roehampton Club

Though the Friends and Family Saturday had left us breathless, we were back on court ourselves by Sunday afternoon – despite a few injuries – at the Roehampton Club. This day was very social, with several rounds of mixed doubles played between Danish, Swedish and GB team members. In the evening, we enjoyed a beautiful BBQ in the club grounds. Many ICGB members joined us – not just the day’s players.

Monday - the Championships

The final day brought us back to Wimbledon for Day 1 of The Championships. We felt deeply honoured to be there and enjoyed world-class tennis with access to all show courts. ICGB hosted us for a stunning lunch in the Members’ Enclosure – the perfect finale to a magical week.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to all the hosts and organisers who made this such a fantastic experience for the Danish team. A special thank you to:

Andrew Smith and Leyla Ogan – for organizing the Tuesday–Thursday fixture in Birmingham

Karen Cass, Peter and Sue Harding and Anne Clark – for the magnificent days at Wimbledon and throughout our stay

Steve Walters – for organizing the beautiful tennis at St George’s Hill

Peter McQuibban and Annegrethe – for their participation at the beautiful Roehampton BBQ

We were truly honoured by the incredibly warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to us by everyone involved.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the Danish IC Committee for the opportunity to participate in this memorable event. We are especially grateful to Captain Steen Elsborg and Steen Biilmann for their outstanding organisation and support on our behalf.

It was an unforgettable experience – one we’re certain every member of the Danish team will cherish.

And last but by no means least, sincere thanks to all the players from ICGB, IC Sweden and IC of Denmark for the challenging, enjoyable, and truly memorable matches.

We look forward to the opportunity to return the favour and host future events in Denmark, helping to strengthen the friendships across the ocean that make the IC spirit so special

---

On behalf of the IC of Denmark and the Danish team

Julie, Morten and Kasper

---

IC Denmark Players – Triangular Fixture

Steen Elsborg (Captain)

Steen Biilmann

Carsten Lange

Kasper Warming

Stefan Ravnholt

Kai Folmer Nielsen

Morten Lyngbæk

Alan Rasmussen

Peter Holst

Anni Michelsen

Ditte Hougaard

Birgitte Hostrup

Julie Hoffmeyer Aackermann

Substitute at Roehampton:

Peter Jantzen