Biggest tournament in the world

February means different things to myriad people, but for the die-hard tennis enthusiasts of the region, it can only mean Country Week. Tennis Victoria’s Country Week tournament commences next week, and is arguably the largest grass court tournament in the world, bringing more than 1300 players to nearly 100 grass courts for a week-long festival of fun, community and competition. For the 2026 edition, the best country tennis players in the state will head across to Shepparton and Mooroopna, where they will be greeted with top quality tennis, and even better social events after play for the whole week. It’ll be action on and off the court, with 16 men’s sections and 17 women’s sections set to showcase some incredible tennis. It’s a special time of year for Wangaratta tennis player Frank Harris, who is about to embark on his 28th trip to the tournament, along with a healthy contingent of local players. Harris said there was hardly a better week on the calendar. “I’m started to get excited about it again this year,” he said. “We’ve had a hectic January, hosting the Inter-Regionals then our own Dal Zotto Wines Australia Day Tournament, but now the pressure’s off and we can focus on Country Week. “It’s only a few days left, we start on Monday, so the excitement is starting to build. “This year’s one is going to be big – there are 33 sections, about eight teams in each section, and each team will have on average about five or six players, so you’re probably looking at about 1300-1500 players. “I think it’s the biggest grass court championship in the world, it’s massive.” Harris said his first Country Week experience was back in the late 90s, but said the vibrant community and friendships made kept him coming back year on year. “I’d heard a lot about Country Week, I think my first one was 1997, and a lot of the players I’d played with in Wang had been to Country Weeks previously and had me all hyped up, ready to go,” he said. “They told me what a great show it was. “The great thing about it is you just meet so many people, not just on the court, but in the social events afterwards, they organise social events in the evenings. “You go back from year to year and it’s just like a big reunion, catching up with all the friends you meet over all of the years. While the social aspect of the weekend is one of the main draws of the event, the quality of tennis on display is also top-notch. Wangaratta will send a handful of teams to the event, and are well positioned to challenge deep into the competition, potentially even picking up some flags. Harris will compete as part of the Wangaratta Legionnaires in section six, alongside famed names like Shane Flynn, Barry Sullivan, Joe Allen, Kevin Callahan, Ben Kneebone, Pat Flynn and Matt Allen. “Section six is still extremely strong, so it’ll be a good test for us,” he said. “Wangaratta Diehards in section nine, that’s headed by Mark Brown, he’s always keyed up and goes in hard. “He’s got Matthew Curran with him, Dave Postlethwaite, Ash Weston, Mike Lairson and Andrew Lindner – I think it’ll be Andrew’s first year, so that’ll be great for him. “In section nine, I expect that team to do extremely well, I’d be very surprised if they don’t come home with a flag, honestly. “The other team we’ve got is the Wangaratta Legends, they’re in section 11, that’s headed by Alan Busk with Mario Pane, Michael Falkenberg, Brian Scobie and Lance Crockett – that’s a pretty formidable team, too, and in section 11 I reckon they’ll do extremely well.” Country Week runs from 9-13 February in Shepparton and Mooroopna.

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