Milton Keynes' Sebastian Oprea, 11, takes silver at the English Open

Sebastian Oprea, an 11-year-old from Milton Keynes, has won silver in the Boys Singles (U15) at the English Open 2026, reaching the final at Birmingham's NEC before losing to eventual champion Jack Burch.

Sebastian, who will turn 12 this September, topped his round robin group without dropping a match, then came through a tight knockout stage. In the quarter-final he trailed 0-7 before winning eight points in a row to lead 8-7, eventually closing it out 17-15. He then won his semi-final 15-11, reaching the final as the youngest player in the last four. Jack proved too strong on the day, taking the best-of-three final in straight games, but the runner-up finish is a notable result in a field of this depth.

Sebastian came to pickleball from tennis and trains at Pickledilly Circus, the Milton Keynes club run by his parents, Julia and Paul, who compete themselves. The silver is the latest medal in a strong year for him. Only weeks before the English Open, he won gold in the 12U Boys Singles at the Young Persons Championship in Stourbridge, coming back from 2-9 down in the final to then win in straight games 12-10, 11-3.

The English Open is the biggest event of its kind in the UK. Hosted by Pickleball England, this year's tournament took over three halls at the NEC to create a 60-court venue, drawing nearly 3,400 players representing 56 countries. Since launching in 2019, it has grown more than sevenfold, reflecting the sport's rapid rise both in Britain and worldwide.

Amid all that growth, Milton Keynes has a national finalist developing right on its doorstep. And it looks like he's only just getting started.