How does junior tennis competition work in the Canary Islands?
From the island championship to the Canary Championship and on to the Spanish Championship: how to qualify, how it is played and who pays for travel.
Federation junior tennis in the Canary Islands has three levels within the islands: the island championships, the Canary Islands Championships, and the open tournaments and national circuits played here. The island championship for your category is the way into the Canary Championship, and the Canary Championship is the way into the Spanish Championship. It is all run by the Canary Islands Tennis Federation (FCT) and, on Gran Canaria and Tenerife, by the island federations, under the rules and the ranking of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET).
The levels at a glance
| Level | Run by | What it is for | Coefficient in the national ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island championship | The island federation (Gran Canaria, Tenerife) or the FCT's delegate on the other islands | Qualifies for the Canary Championship | 1.25, like any tournament |
| Canary Islands Championship | The FCT | Regional title; qualifies for the Spanish Championship | 3 |
| Open tournaments | Clubs, with the federation's approval | Points and matches | 1.25 |
| National junior circuits that stop in the islands | Each circuit's organisers | Points that weigh more | 1.75, or 2.5 if they meet the RFET's requirements |
| Spanish Championship | The RFET | National title | 3.5 |
The coefficients come from the RFET Ranking Regulation 2026 (article 11). How they turn into points is explained on the page about the RFET ranking.
From the island championship to the Canary Championship
Each island holds its own championship by category. In 2026, the junior island championships in the FCT calendar were played between January and February; Gran Canaria's (under 10 to under 18) ran from 23 January to 1 February.
The Canary Islands individual championship has a 64-player knockout draw in each category. This is how players get in:
- By result: the winner and the runner-up of each island championship get a direct place.
- By invitation: there are four wildcards, two from the host club and two from the FCT. If the club does not use its two, they go to the entrants with the best national ranking when entries close.
- By ranking: the rules also provide for players who qualify by ranking, who pay for their own travel.
To play, you need a current licence with the Canary federation and the RFET, and to meet one of these conditions since 1 January of the previous year: be eligible to represent Spain, hold Spanish nationality, or be officially resident in Spain.
How it is played: two sets with tie-breaks and, at one set all, a 10-point match tie-break. Under 10 (benjamín) plays two short sets to 4 games. The championship lasts at most fourteen days, over two consecutive weekends, and you must be available on the first.
Entries: on the FCT website, including for players who qualified through their island or by wildcard. Entries open at least 21 days before and close no later than ten days before the first weekend. Draws and the order of play are published at least 36 hours before the first match.
In 2026, the Canary individual championships for alevín and cadete were played from 1 to 10 May, infantil and júnior from 15 to 24 May, and under 10 is set for 13 to 22 November.
Teams
The Canary team championships are played in benjamín, alevín, infantil, cadete, júnior and veterans. There is a provincial stage first: clubs from Fuerteventura and Lanzarote play with Gran Canaria's, and La Palma's with Tenerife's. Eight teams reach the regional stage: the winner and runner-up of each province, plus four by ranking. A women's tie has three singles and a doubles; a men's tie, four singles and a doubles.
A player who has taken part in an island qualifying event can only play for a team from the island where they played their first one that season.
From the Canary Championship to the Spanish Championship
To play a Spanish junior individual championship you must have played your regional championship, which in the Canaries is the Canary Islands Championship. The only exceptions are wildcards and, in cadete and júnior, a player with an injury backed by a medical certificate sent before the regional championship ends.
| Category | How players from the Canaries get in |
|---|---|
| Cadete and júnior | The Canary champion goes straight into the main draw (64 players: 19 regional champions, 34 by ranking, 3 wildcards and 8 qualifiers). The runner-up is guaranteed a place in qualifying if their ranking is not enough for the main draw. |
| Alevín and infantil | The FCT enters its players. Every regional federation has at least two places per event, and the rest of the 61 places are shared out according to how many licences in that category each region has. |
Sources: the RFET rules for the Spanish individual championships in cadete, júnior, infantil and alevín, updated on 29 January 2026.
Open tournaments and national circuits in the islands
Between championships there are open club tournaments and stops of national junior circuits. The FCT's 2026 calendar includes stops on Gran Canaria and Tenerife of circuits such as TDC, the Rafa Nadal Tour, the Marca circuit, the Spartan Tenis Tour and the Warriors Tour. Whether a circuit counts as "national" does not depend on its name: the RFET recognises it if it is played in at least five autonomous communities and meets minimum entry numbers, and it then scores at 1.75, or 2.5 if it also meets the requirements in annex 1 of the Ranking Regulation.
Travelling between islands
For the Canary individual championship, the FCT rules provide travel support:
- In alevín, infantil and cadete, the FCT (for La Palma, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) or the island federation (for Gran Canaria and Tenerife) pays travel for players who show they lack the means or someone to go with them. They travel with a delegate appointed by the federation, with their parents' authorisation.
- In júnior, absoluto and veterans, the player's accommodation and flight are covered, without a companion, up to 40 euros a night when there is no group hotel.
- Players who enter by wildcard or ranking pay their own way.
For the Spanish junior individual championships, the FCT pays travel for players without the means or a companion, on the same terms. For the Spanish team championships between regions, the FCT pays travel, accommodation and meals for the players it selects.
Common questions
Do you have to play the island championship to play the Canary Championship?
It is the direct route: the winner and runner-up get a place. The other places go by wildcard and by ranking.
Can a player enter the Spanish Championship without playing the Canary one?
Generally not. The rules for the Spanish junior championships require having played the regional championship, except for wildcards and, in cadete and júnior, an injury certified in time.
Do tournaments in the Canaries count for the national ranking?
Yes, if they are in the official calendar the FCT sends to the RFET. The Canary Championship multiplies points by 3, and open tournaments by 1.25.
What happens if a player changes club mid-season?
A player can only change club once a year, and not after playing team competition that season. Changing before the Canary Championship means losing the place won through the previous island.
What does a no-show cost?
At the Canary Championship, a first-round walkover means paying 30% of the entry fee if it is unjustified and 20% if it is justified. For the national ranking, an unjustified walkover also costs 30% of the points the draw's winner receives.
Sources
- Federación Canaria de Tenis, Normativa de Clasificación de los Campeonatos de Canarias 2025/2026 (signed 16 March 2026). Consulted on 4 October 2026.
- Federación Canaria de Tenis, 2026 calendars: general calendar, Canary individual and team championships, Gran Canaria championships. Consulted on 4 October 2026.
- RFET, rules of the Spanish individual championships in cadete, júnior, infantil and alevín (29 January 2026). Consulted on 4 October 2026.
- RFET, Reglamento de Clasificación 2026, articles 11 and 14. Consulted on 4 October 2026.