The English Open Changed the Game: Winners, Surprises and What Comes Next

Six days. More than 60 courts. Some of the best players in Europe and North America. And somewhere around 150 combined hours behind the microphone.

Chris Beaumont and Nick Hobbis are back from the NEC for the definitive review of the 2026 English Open.

They revisit the performances that shaped the week, from Ignasi De Rueda singles breakthrough and the brilliance of Roos van Reek to Jack Munro and Richard Livornese's American statement, Marcello Jardim's senior dominance and the players who exceeded expectations without necessarily leaving Birmingham with gold.

But this is about more than results.

Chris and Nick discuss what it felt like inside the biggest indoor pickleball tournament yet staged, the volunteers who made it possible, the success of the Unity Cup and the community stories happening away from the championship courts.

They also examine where the English Open needs to go next. Should professional players still be playing large round-robin groups? Does the pro division need an entry threshold? What did Stupa's video review and match data add to the broadcast? How should reviews be managed? And after the huge leap from Telford to the NEC, what does Pickleball England do for an encore?

Plus Jake Bower's tactical intelligence, the extraordinary depth of the men's singles field, the gap between Europe and America, the rise of De Rueda, the relentless consistency of Van Reek, some outrageous ATPs and Ernies, and why the grassroots game must never become separated from the professional spectacle being built above it.

The English Open grew up in Birmingham.

Now comes the interesting part.