Police are investigating a player-coach safety incident at the Birmingham Open, after an alleged assault on coach Patrick McCabe by a member of the grounds staff at the Edgbaston Priory Club.
The altercation is said to have taken place on Monday 1 June, following a dispute over the use of practice courts. Patrick McCabe is the father and coach of Australian tennis player James McCabe, ranked world No. 234 at the time. In a lengthy Instagram post, the younger McCabe described the event as a “serious police-reported player/coach safety incident at the tournament venue”.
Player’s account of the altercation
James McCabe, who lost his first-round match at the tournament, gave a detailed version of events on social media. He wrote: “My account is that he was followed, physically handled by a staff member, and left in pain afterwards.” The player later confirmed on Wednesday morning that his father had been taken to hospital as a result of the incident.
The episode marks a significant escalation in what began as a scheduling disagreement over practice court time. James McCabe, who turned professional in 2021 and has a career-high singles ranking of No. 164 (achieved in July 2025), has limited experience on grass – a 0-2 record at ATP level and 9-9 at Challenger and ITF level. His father, Patrick, emigrated from Greenhills in Ireland to Australia in 1987. (A separate individual named Pat McCabe is the head coach of women’s lacrosse at Adelphi University in the United States, but the tennis context makes it clear the coach involved in this incident is the player’s father.)
Official statements
West Midlands Police said in a statement: “We received a report of a man being assaulted at a venue in Sir Harrys Road, Birmingham on June 1. No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.”
The Birmingham Open is the first grass-court tournament of the British season and features events on the second-tier ATP Challenger and WTA 125 tours. It is run by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). In a joint statement, the LTA, the ATP and Edgbaston Priory Club said: “There is an ongoing investigation being led by Edgbaston Priory Club with support from the ATP and LTA in relation to an incident during the Lexus Birmingham Open on Monday, June 1. This incident involves an allegation made against a member of Edgbaston Priory Club staff by a player’s coach and is currently being reviewed by an investigating officer. We will be making no further comment whilst the investigation is ongoing.”
The tournament, held at Edgbaston Priory Club between 1 and 7 June 2026, has a history dating back to the Midland Counties Championships (1882–1977). The club has previously faced scrutiny: in 2018, a convicted paedophile was involved in videoing children during a junior squash tournament at the venue. At that time, the club said the individual was not involved in “regulated activity” and therefore not eligible for a DBS check, and that police found no evidence of wrongdoing during his membership.
The grass-court season will continue next week after the French Open concludes, with some of the world’s best players heading to Queen’s for the HSBC Championships (6–21 June). Other UK grass-court events include the Lexus Ilkley Open (7–14 June), Lexus Nottingham Open (13–21 June), and Lexus Eastbourne Open (20–27 June).
The third grand slam of the year, Wimbledon, begins on 29 June. Jannik Sinner is the defending men’s champion after beating Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final – Sinner’s first Wimbledon title and fourth major overall, making him the first Italian to win the men’s singles at the All England Club. Iga Swiatek will aim to defend the women’s title she won by thrashing Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the 2025 final, a result described as one of the most one-sided in 114 years. Anisimova, who reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3 in January 2026, had spoken about how art helped her during a period away from the tour.
