Joshua Bright and Millie Smythe were among the standout performers at WPC England 2026, with both players collecting multiple gold medals during a weekend that reinforced the value of versatility at the top of the English game.
- Joshua Bright won gold in men’s singles and men’s doubles at WPC England 2026.
- Millie Smythe completed a clean sweep, winning gold in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
- The same names repeatedly appeared across multiple podiums, highlighting the importance of all-round ability in modern pickleball.
A Weekend of Familiar Names
WPC England 2026 took place at the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds over the weekend, bringing together many of the country’s leading players across singles, doubles and mixed doubles competition.
By the end of the tournament, several familiar names had established themselves at the centre of proceedings.
Joshua Bright claimed gold in the Men’s Singles 19+ 5.0 division, defeating a strong field that included Louis Laville, Alexander Minogue-Stone, William Cheer and Dom Pitchfork.
Laville finished with silver, while Minogue-Stone secured bronze.
The men’s doubles event produced a similar outcome. Bright and Laville combined to win gold, with Minogue-Stone and Charles Bowen-Rayner taking silver and Jack Edwards and Josh Roberts earning bronze.
On the women’s side, Millie Smythe won the Women’s Singles 19+ 5.0 event ahead of Rachel McCrae and Ellie Tomkinson.
Smythe was not finished there.
She partnered Tomkinson to claim gold in women’s doubles before adding a third title in mixed doubles alongside Laville. McCrae completed an impressive weekend of her own, collecting silver medals in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
Bright Continues To Deliver
Bright entered the tournament as one of the leading contenders and justified that status.
His victories in both singles and doubles continued a run of strong performances that has seen him establish himself as one of the most successful players currently competing on the British circuit.
The rankings boost that followed is notable, although perhaps more significant is the consistency with which his name continues to appear in the latter stages of major events.
At 22, he remains one of the younger players among the leading names in the WPC structure and continues to build a résumé that compares favourably with anyone currently competing regularly within that system.
Smythe’s Perfect Weekend
If Bright was the leading story on the men’s side, Smythe arguably produced the performance of the tournament.
Three events.
Three gold medals.
Across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, she repeatedly found solutions against different opponents and under different conditions.
That versatility is often what separates strong tournament players from occasional winners. The ability to adapt across formats, partners and match situations remains one of the most valuable attributes in competitive pickleball.
McCrae deserves recognition here too. While Smythe left with three gold medals, McCrae’s haul of three silver medals demonstrated a similarly impressive ability to remain competitive across the entire weekend.
The Same Names Kept Appearing
Perhaps the most revealing aspect of the tournament was not who won individual events but how frequently the same players featured across the podium positions.
Bright appeared in the latter stages of both singles and doubles.
Laville reached the singles final and won doubles gold.
Smythe won singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
McCrae reached the podium in all three disciplines.
For spectators, that may be the most useful takeaway from the weekend.
The strongest players are increasingly proving they are not specialists. They are succeeding across multiple formats and with different partners, demonstrating a level of adaptability that remains one of the clearest indicators of quality within the sport.
What Else Stood Out?
There were several other notable performances across the weekend.
Father-and-son pairing Michal Cicvak and Michal Cicvak Jr both reached the quarter-finals of the men’s singles competition before being eliminated by William Cheer and Minogue-Stone respectively.
In the 50+ 5.0 division, Ian Marshall added another title to his collection by winning gold in men’s singles.
Meanwhile, Smythe’s dominance was evident from the outset, with the eventual champion winning every match on day one by at least eight points on her way to the final.
What Next?
Attention now turns to the WPC Italian Open, which takes place from 1-5 July.
The WPC Polish Pickleball Cup and WPC Belgium Open also follow next month as players look to build momentum through the European summer calendar.
WPC England produced dozens of medal winners across the weekend, but one theme emerged repeatedly.
The same names kept appearing.
Bright and Laville on the men’s side.
Smythe and McCrae on the women’s side.
In a sport that increasingly rewards versatility, that may have been the most revealing result of all.
Further Reading
- Latest pickleball news from around the world
- Tournament coverage and results
- Rankings and player profiles
- Regional pickleball coverage
Will Russell
EditorWill Russell is a journalism student at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and a contributor to the World Pickleball Magazine Academy. He is particularly interested in player development, emerging talent and the stories shaping pickleball's growth around the world.
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