Eissa and Roberts lead charge for 2026 English Junior Championship titles

Mariam Eissa and Dylan Roberts head into the 2026 English Junior Championships (EJC) as the U19 top seeds on 7-8 February, looking to add another English title to their armory.

The very best juniors the country has to offer will battle it out in Nottingham for the prestigious titles in a quest to make a striking impact in 2026.

They’ll be seeking to add their name to an illustrious list of former English Junior Championship winners that includes Declan James, Georgina Kennedy and Jonah Bryant.

Eissa, who was GU17 bronze medallist at the recent British Junior Open in Birmingham, will be seeking to retain the crown she won last year at the age of just 15. The four-time champion from Warwickshire is once again seeded to meet her opponent in last year's EJC final, [2] Emily Coulcher-Porter (Bucks), the current British Junior Champion and 2024’s U17 trophy winner.

The GU19 is initially organised into three groups, with Eissa facing [5] Bonnie Elvin (Suffolk) and [9] Beth Fisher (Worcestershire) in Group A. Coulcher-Porter is in the four-player Group B and 3/4 seeds Reka Kemecsei (Sussex) and Harriet Broadbridge (Hampshire) are in Group C.

BU19 no.1 seed Roberts, who finished eighth at the recent British Junior Open and won this tournament in 2020 in the BU13 category is vying to try and lift the title once more.

Roberts, who's from Kent but now trains with Rob Owen in Solihull, is seeded to face [3/4] Gabriel Chak (Surrey) in the semi-finals. In the bottom half of the draw, former U17 title holder [2] Ronnie Hickling will be seeking revenge for his five-game British Junior Championship final defeat to Roberts but must first get past 2023 U15 champion [3/4] Ismail Khalil (Warwickshire) in a potential semi-final.

Luke McBride (Surrey), who finished a creditable sixth in the British Junior Open, is BU17 top seed in Nottingham. He is seeded to meet Matthew Hong Ki Leung (Gloucestershire) in the semi-finals and potentially [2] Ali Khalil (Warwickshire) in the final.

Another former champion is favourite for the GU17 title in Ameerah Ismail (Warwickshire) but has former GU11 EJC winner and the player Ismail beat in the U13 final two years ago [3/4] Phoebe Griffiths in her half of the draw. Second seed Renata Collabella (Kent) could face [3/4] Ava Fox (Norfolk) in the other semi-final.

England no.1 Alexander Koa-Wing (Middlesex) and who was victorious two years ago, is top seed in the BU15 draw, with [2] Kai Miller (Warwickshire) lying in wait as a potential fellow finalist. Koa-Wing may first have to overcome [3/4] Tristan Sutton (Essex) in the semis, with [3/4] Kylen Calder (Essex) potentially in store for Miller.

GU15 no.1 seed Esther Chak (Surrey) will bid to go one better than last year's runner-up finish in Nottingham. She is expected to face [3/4] Bella Gokani (Leicestershire) in this year's semis and [2] Sienna Hampshaw in the final, provided the Yorkshirewoman gets through a potential semi with [3/4] Nadiya Ismail (Warwickshire).

Reigning British BU13 champion Logan Willstrop (Yorkshire) — whose mother Vanessa Atkinson and father James Willstrop are both former world no.1s — goes into the BU13 as top seed, with [3/4] Daniel Stevenson (Gloucestershire) awaiting in a potential semi. [2] Ben Lamond (Dorset), who also has an English title to his name is Willstrop's main rival but may first have to overcome [3/4] Jacob Askey (Warwicks).

England no.1 Siona Mishra (Warwickshire) is favourite in the GU13 with [2] Freya Hennings (Surrey) at the other end of the draw. Mishra, EJC bronze medallist last year, may face [3/4] Ada Brown (Norfolk) in the last four, with [3/4] Sara Ibrahim (Sussex) possibly awaiting Mishra.

Archibald McLeod (Warwickshire) dominated the domestic BU11 scene last year and is no.1 seed in the EJC BU11. [3/4] Cristian Law (Hertfordshire) is in McLeod's half of the draw, while [2] Gabriel Cannistraci (Middlesex) could play [3/4] Max Hall (Yorkshire) in the other semi-final.

[1] Abigail Zeng (Avon) and [2] Arya Knobbs (Warwickshire) lead the GU11 seedings, although 3/4 seeds Afia Campion of Yorkshire (daughter of former England national coach David) and Manar Ismail (Sussex) may prove tough respective semi-final opponents.

[1] Luke Woodward (Hampshire) faces competition from second seed Bram Willstrop (Yorkshire) — Logan's younger brother — in the BU9, with Oliver Rowe (Cumbria) and Levin von Usslar (Kent) the 3/4 seeds.

The GU9 draw is a five-player round-robin in which India Stone (Surrey) is top seed ahead of Lani Campion and Rose Swinden (both Yorkshire).

View the draws on our website here. Action from the English Junior Championships starts on 7 February - watch live streaming from the University of Nottingham on the official website.

You can also follow the event on the official England Squash Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.