Day 8 Court Report: Champions Crowned to Close Out the 2026 Cary Tennis Classic
By: Walt Reese
After a week full of incredible matches, rising stars, and memorable moments, the Cary Tennis Classic came to a close on Sunday evening with four championship matches at Cary Tennis Park. With trophies on the line, the final day of the tournament delivered everything fans could ask for as players looked to finish their week in Cary as Champions.
The biggest story of the day came from Braden Shick, who completed his dream run in front of the North Carolina crowd by defeating Timo Legout 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to capture the men’s CTC singles championship and his first career Challenger title. The Greensboro native and NC State alum showed plenty of fight after dropping the opening set and falling behind a break in the second. Shick battled his way back into the match, took control late, and completed the comeback to claim the Cary Tennis Classic championship. This CTC title marks
On the women’s side, No. 2 seed Lucrezia Stefanini finished off a dominant week with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over American qualifier Savannah Broadus. The Italian, who has been ranked as high as No. 99 in the world, showed her experience throughout the tournament and ended her run in Cary by lifting the championship trophy.
In men’s doubles, JiSung Nam and Patrik Niklas-Salminen capped off their week with a thrilling championship victory over top seeds Finn Reynolds and James Watt. After dropping the first set, Nam and Niklas-Salminen fought back to win 5-7, 7-5, 10-8 and leave Cary with the doubles title.
The women’s doubles final saw No. 2 seeds Catherine Harrison and Dalayna Hewitt finish their tournament in style, defeating No. 4 seeds Hiroko Kuwata and Ankita Raina 6-4, 6-2. Harrison and Hewitt put together a strong week from start to finish and closed it out with one more impressive performance.
From local college players competing in front of a home crowd to international talent showcasing the future of professional tennis, the 2026 Cary Tennis Classic provided another unforgettable week at Cary Tennis Park. Thank you to all the players, fans, sponsors, volunteers, tournament staff, and everyone who helped make this year’s event possible. We hope to see everyone next year! For tournament updates and future information, visit https://carytennisclassic.com/ or download the new Cary Tennis Classic App.
