Junior players Noah Jones and Lily Fannin delivered standout performances at the Manuka Doctor Road to the ASB Classic 2026, held from 14–16 January, with the final played on Centre Court during the ASB Classic itself. Their success followed a dedicated summer of training together with their coach, Pete Stenberg, at Thomas Neale Family Memorial Park.

Noah lost his semifinal playoff 10–8 in the super‑tiebreak, so very close to being in the final.

Lily went through the girls’ event and won the title without dropping a set. She played her final on the Centre Court with ball kids and umpires, managing her nerves brilliantly in such a big setting.

A remarkable experience for them both, and great to see our players punching so deep at a national level.

Lily has also just become one of only three players in New Zealand to reach Gold Standard — an achievement set by High Performance NZ with extremely high performance targets. She earned this distinction by reaching the final of the 16‑and‑under Nationals as a 13‑year‑old, an exceptional milestone in her development.