Felix Balshaw, son of 2003 World Cup winner Iain Balshaw, secures first ATP Tour win
On 22 October 2026, 20-year-old Felix Balshaw — the Leeds-born son of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Iain Balshaw — celebrated the first ATP Tour victory of his career this week as he prepared to face Corentin Moutet in the Lyon Open second round. The win capped a run that has seen him climb more than 500 places in the ATP rankings since the start of 2026.
Balshaw was born in West Yorkshire while his father played for Premiership club Leeds Tykes but the family moved to Biarritz in 2009 when Iain joined the French Top 14, and they have remained in the Basque coastal city. Felix said: "We came down in Biarritz in 2009 and we just loved the place" and added: "I grew up in France and, as each day went by, I felt more and more French." He broke into the world's top 200 for the first time last month and is listed as world number 178.
International allegiance has followed his upbringing: Balshaw speaks with a strong Gallic twang and said: "Since I've been little, from when I started playing in Tennis Europe juniors, I have always had the French flag by my name." Trips back to England have been "very rare" for the Balshaw children, with visits largely limited to Christmas family gatherings, and Felix said he has never visited his father's hometown of Blackburn.
Felix acknowledged his father's place in English rugby history while preparing for Lyon, recalling highlights of Iain's 2003 campaign: "I just had a massive smile [watching] because I can say 'this is my dad'." The article notes Iain Balshaw was an "electrifying full-back/wing" who scored three tries during the pool stage of England's 2003 World Cup campaign and came on as a second-half substitute in the final, which England won 20-17 over Australia.
Balshaw began playing tennis at the age of four but also showed a rugby aptitude, and at 13 he had to choose which sport to pursue; he described that decision in his own words: "When I was little, and your father is a rugby champion, of course you always want to follow in his steps and do the same journey as him," and added: "But I just felt that rugby was not going to be my sport." He said of tennis: "Tennis, I guess, is more difficult for me than rugby because it's an individual sport, but there was a little more fire in me [playing tennis]." "That meant it was the right choice to choose tennis."
On court Balshaw recorded his maiden tour-level win at this week's ATP 250 event in Lyon, beating Portuguese world number 56 Jaime Faria, and he met French-born British number one Arthur Fery at the tournament. The profile notes Balshaw's Roger Federer-style one-handed backhand and a Thor-inspired hammer celebration as distinctive elements of his game.
The player’s rapid ascent has drawn attention beyond France; the piece states his success "will also attract interest among Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) chiefs" and reports that Balshaw was asked whether the LTA had approached him. He responded: "Maybe my parents are hiding stuff and I don't know, but I have never been personally contacted by the LTA," adding: "I think for [my parents] the most important thing is if I'm happy, they'll be happy as well."
Balshaw is due to face Corentin Moutet in the Lyon Open second round, the match described as the biggest of his career to date.