Les Petits As Playoffs USA Wilson presented by AQR is back in Port St. Lucie to break in the brand-new courts of RPS Academies

After the European edition held in Bulgaria (September 28–October 2 in Plovdiv), the LPA team (officials, chair umpires, supervisor of the officials and tournament director) flew in from France on Friday to officiate the 10th edition of the Playoffs USA, which will send the best American under-14 players to Tarbes in January 2027. 

The weekend prior to the tournament, RPS Academies organized a qualifier. Four boys and four girls qualified for the main draw starting October 12. For the boys, Thomas Gamble, Miguel Valencia, Keanu Agbulos and Aleksander Denisov made it through. For the girls, Anna Victoria Sandru, Lola Looney, Maya Laddin and Vihana Thasen qualified.

Above: Qualifier Miguel Valencia won the boys’ title at the 2026 Les Petits As USA Playoffs at RPS Academies in Port St. Lucie, Florida, earning a place at the 2027 championships in Tarbes, France. Photo credit: Julie Schkoda.

Then the Playoffs started, with the top 16 American boys and top 16 girls battling on court for a chance to play in France. Scouts were on site to watch the best of the best compete against each other.

The tournament week was a first for the organization in many ways. It was the first time Les Petits As was played on the brand-new courts of RPS Academies, where more than 20 courts have just been completed. And every match during the tournament had a chair umpire on-court. The four show courts were streamed live via a web app and were also watchable on YouTube. 

Above: No. 1 seed Lucy Dupere won the girls’ title at the 2026 Les Petits As USA Playoffs at RPS Academies in Port St. Lucie, Florida, earning a place at the 2027 championships in Tarbes, France. Photo credit: Julie Schkoda.

Team USA is set. The qualifiers from the USA Playoffs who will travel to France next January are, for the girls, Lucy Dupere (No. 1 seed), Noa Boar, Anna Victoria Sandru (qualifier) and Annabelle Huang; and for the boys, Miguel Valencia (qualifier), James Borchard, Evan Fan and Novak Masteller (No. 2 seed).

The Playoffs continue around the world with Africa (November 2–6, Casablanca, Morocco), Asia (November 16–20, Miyazaki, Japan) and LATAM (November 25–29, Puerto Cabello, Venezuela).

For the first time ever, the qualifiers from each region are receiving a smart keychain giving them access to a specific page on Les Petits As website only accessible for them.  

Above: Highly sought-after collectibles that double as smart keychains. Photo credit: Julie Schkoda.

Rendez-vous in Tarbes for the 45th edition of Les Petits As Le Mondial Wilson, January 21–31, 2027.

Article and photos courtesy of Julie Schkoda, a sports marketing expert with over a decade of experience at Lacoste HQ (Paris) and Lacoste USA (NYC). Owner of 1999 Consulting LLC, based in Miami, specializing in sports marketing, sponsorships, activations and events.

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