The IC of South Africa host the Nations Cup and Legends Awards Dinner

The IC of South Africa hosted the Nations Cup and Legend Awards Dinner from 18-23 March 2026.

Nations Cup – Three Days of International Tennis

The Nations Cup was contested over three days of highly competitive and engaging tennis hosted at Kelvin Grove Tennis Club. The event brought together international teams in a format that balanced competitive intensity with the core IC values of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and friendship. In addition, guests were given a free day to arrange their own excursions.

Day 1 – Arrival and Welcome

The opening function set the tone for the tournament, with players having arrived from various parts of the globe. The Welcome Dinner was held at Kelvin Grove, providing an opportunity for players and officials to connect in a relaxed environment, renewing old and making new friendships, reinforcing the values that underpin IC events.

Day 2 – Opening Matches

Teams began engaging in well-contested matches. The standard of play was consistently high, with several closely fought encounters that highlighted both the depth of talent and the competitive pride of each nation. At the end of the day, the Nations tie was won by South Africa who edged out GB. Two other mixed regional teams completed the group.

Day 3 – Day at Leisure

This was a free day with guests able to plan their own excursions.

A highlight of the day was the evening cruise, which provided a unique and memorable setting for social interaction. Against the backdrop of Cape Town’s coastline, participants were able to unwind, connect, and celebrate the shared experience of international tennis. The cruise was widely regarded as a standout feature of the event. The return to the harbour and its twinkling lights with dancing on deck to the strains of Johnny Clegg and other African tunes, was a lovely ending to the event (the outward leg in choppy seas notwithstanding!!). 

Day 4 – The programme continues

The second day of competition featured a full schedule of matches across all participating teams. The level of competition intensified, with decisive results beginning to shape the standings. Off the court, the atmosphere remained vibrant and inclusive, with players supporting one another and sharing in the experience beyond the matches themselves.

Day 5 – Final Matches and Closing Ceremony

The final day of the Nations Cup brought the tournament to an exciting conclusion, as the remaining round robin matches were played. With everything still to play for, the level of tennis remained high throughout the morning. Close matches, competitive rallies, and strong team performances defined the final rounds, with results ultimately decided by fine margins.

The closing prizegiving marked a fitting conclusion to the Nations Cup. IC South Africa had the honour of awarding honorary membership to Louise Field (New Zealand), Peter Harding and Karen Cass (GB) and Pam Rosenbaum (Canada). In addition, Duard Botha was awarded honorary membership of IC Great Britain, reflecting the strong international ties fostered during the event. The formalities were followed by a relaxed pizza farewell, allowing participants to conclude the tournament in a warm and informal setting.

Legends Dinner – A Celebration of Excellence

The Legends Dinner, held at Grand Africa Café & Beach, was undoubtedly one of the defining highlights of the week. Set under the evening sky, with the ocean as a backdrop to dancing on the sand, the event created a unique and memorable atmosphere befitting the occasion. Dinner on the Deck was served buffet style and proved to be a sumptuous affair. From oysters to salmon and fillet accompanied by vegetables and salads, it was an outstanding experience.

The evening celebrated the rich legacy of South African tennis, with:

• 13 new Legends inducted
• 6 Lifetime Achievement Awards presented
• 6 Masters World Champions recognised.

Each recognition was a testament to the enduring impact of individuals who have shaped the sport at national and international levels.

The IC of South Africa were particularly privileged to host Brigitte Cuypers-Fourie and JL de Jager, both crowned Legends in 2023. Their presence added further prestige to the evening and served as a powerful reminder of the excellence and tradition that define South African tennis.

The event successfully combined formality with celebration, creating an environment that honoured past achievements while inspiring future generations. The feedback received from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, with many noting the setting and organisation as truly world-class.

Further Details

• Venue
  The historic Kelvin Grove Country Club proved to be the ideal venue for the Nations Cup Tournament hosted by the International Club of South Africa (IC SA) in March 2026. The Club’s beautiful grounds feature the grand old historical clubhouse, 2 restaurants, bar, coffee shop and swimming pool. 
• Teams
  Originally meant to be a gathering of 4 Nations, it soon transpired that clubs were having difficulty fielding full teams and the event became an open competition. Representatives from the US, Canada, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa found themselves playing for the Ellies, the Pumbas, the Daisies and others. In total, some 40 players had the opportunity to participate in the competition.

Format

• Day 1: 4 teams of 8 competing as  countries or regions. Won by SA with GB second.
• Days 2 and 3: 8 teams of 4. Ladies, Men’s and Mixed Doubles.

Entertainment/Functions

• Welcome function and dinner
• Sunset cruise
• The Legends Dinner and Awards
• The prize-giving and pizza evening.

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Juan Maria Tintoré

On 5 February 2020, the International Club (IC), the tennis world, and the great sporting city of Barcelona, lost one of its great statesmen.

Juan Maria Tintoré was 92. He wanted to live the longest possible life because Juan Maria, President of the IC of Spain, always had things to do. One of those great projects was the IC’s Potter Cup - an annual event where the world’s best veteran players (men over 45 and women over 40) come to Barcelona for a long weekend to play the best veterans’ tennis on clay anywhere in the world. These players, hundreds of them over a period of nearly 50 years, play in Barcelona’s Potter Cup, not for financial reward, nor because they will win points to improve their rankings, but for the love of a game, played hard but in the spirit of friendship, and immersed in a glorious hospitality that is the trademark of the Potter Cup, of Barcelona, and of Juan Maria himself. The 2020 edition of the Potter Cup is already over-subscribed.

If Juan Maria asked you to do something, you did it. There was nothing he liked better than the democracy of a committee that came to the decision he wanted it to! He fought hard for the survival of something he knew was good: the Potter Cup had the prestige it needed to persuade the two great tennis clubs of Barcelona to host: the men’s event at the Real Cub de Polo de Barcelona, and the newer women’s event at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899, the Club where Juan Maria was President for many years, and where the Potter Cup's gala dinner is held. For Juan Maria, the Potter Cup needed to be run as well as Barcelona’s Trofeo Conde de Godó (the ATP 500 Barcelona Open BancSabadell), where every year a press conference is held by the Tournament, the two great Barcelona Clubs, the Catalan Federation and the IC to announce the Potter Cup and to publicise the IC Philanthropy clinic run during the Potter Cup by Sergi Bruguera's wonderful charity.

Juan Maria knew too that the survival of the International Club, and its values, depended on the willingness of the best Clubs in the world to host the IC’s events. It was important to him that these prestigious Clubs were also aware of the significance of the traditions that bound them together; and Juan Maria guided, hands-on as always, the creation of the Centenary Clubs network. That work began in Barcelona where he built a wonderful bridge between the two great Barcelona clubs that are so important to the Potter Cup.

Juan Maria wasn’t stuck in the past. He was at the forefront of making sure that Spanish tennis had depth. He was a great supporter of the ITF and the players organisations, ATP and WTA.  More tournaments for juniors and seniors in Spain meant more wild cards for Spanish players, he once told me sagely and with a smile: that’s how you created depth in Spanish tennis.

He was also in the vanguard of shaking the old tennis world by taking it to new frontiers, very much in the travelling spirit of the IC: to Sarajevo immediately after the bitter war in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and to Beijing as relations thawed with the capitalist west. He brought news of these projects, places and peoples to the Executive Committee of the IC at its meetings in Paris.

Juan Maria was a man of great personal charm and kindness. He was devoted (as we all are) to his wife, Berti, and to their large family, to whom we send our condolences. At their giant revolving round table in their family home in Mallorca, crowded with their own children and grandchildren, somehow there was always room for guests - and, of course, for their guests' children. Our children stood amazed as Juan Maria, then already in his late eighties, rowed his boat out to into the Balearic Sea every morning with a determination that marked everything he did.

We, especially those who have played in the Potter Cup, are now the guardians of Juan Maria’s legacy. May he Rest in Peace.