By John Lumley
The 2026 Percy Cup brought together eight teams from New York, Boston, Washington, and Philadelphia for a fantastic weekend of court tennis.
Play began Friday afternoon, and from the first point, the intensity was high. Across the weekend, there were superb rallies, incredible athleticism, and fiercely competitive matches that showcased the very best of the game.
Alongside the main draw, the back draw provided plenty of drama of its own, featuring Washadelphia — a combined Washington and Philadelphia side — taking on Washington. In a fiercely contested tie, Washington came out on top 2 matches to 1, highlighted by a nail-biting finish as Vern Cassin & Tom Price edged Conrad Calcagno & Jake Erskine 10/9 in one of the matches of the weekend.
After a brilliant weekend of competition, the final came down to an all-Philadelphia showdown: Phildedo — the perfect combination of Tuxedo and Philadelphia — against Philadelphia 2.
The opening match set the tone for a thrilling final, with The Rowles locked in a three-set battle against Ken Anderson & Ben Sheridan. Momentum swung both ways in a high-quality contest, but in the end, Philadelphia 2 edged it 6/2, 3/6, 6/4 to take the first point.
Next on court was Tim Carroll & Harvey Robin for Phildedo against Eric Haab & Alex Matulas for Philadelphia 2. Haab & Matulas came out firing, racing through the first set 6/1. But the second set was a completely different story — a fierce back-and-forth battle filled with long rallies, brilliant retrieving, and clutch shot-making. Locked at five games all, Haab & Matulas found another gear at just the right moment, closing it out to secure the second point — and with it, the Percy Cup for Philadelphia 2.
The final match saw Victoria Scott & Alexis Dorr produce an excellent performance, defeating Halsey Spruance & Alex Jamieson 10/5. While ultimately a dead rubber, with the title already decided, it was still a fitting way to close out a fantastic final and a showcase of the depth of talent on display throughout the weekend.
A huge thank you to everyone who traveled, competed, and helped make this year’s event such a success. Congratulations once again to Philadelphia 2, worthy champions — and we look forward to doing it all again next year.
