The Workday Canberra International, Canberra’s premier tennis tournament, today crowned the 2024 Champions at the Canberra Tennis Centre.
The Women’s Singles saw Spanish star Nuria Parrizas-Diaz complete an outstanding tournament, defeating Great Britain’s Harriet Dart in straight sets 6-4 6-3. Parrizas-Diaz displayed a serving clinic winning 74% of the points on her first serve, followed up with powerful winning groundstrokes to the roaring applause of the sold out centre court in the Nation’s Capital. Unseeded Parrizas-Diaz only dropped one set throughout the entire tournament defeating the 5th and 3rd seeds along the way to lifting the Workday Canberra International trophy.
Parrizas-Diaz was delighted with the title “I love Australia and it has been a fabulous start to my Australian Summer of Tennis. It’s my first time to Canberra, the people, support and city has been fantastic”.
The Men’s Final was a showdown with top seed Dominik Koepfer (GER) defeating Jakub Mensik (PRO) 6-3 6-2.
Koepfer proved too powerful for the Czech teenage sensation in Mensik. Koepfer made the most of his opportunities, breaking serve on three occasions with solid play off both wings and his characteristic pinpoint accuracy. Koepfer displayed his dominance throughout the week including an outstanding display in his win over David Goffin in the Quarter Finals. Koepfer was a huge hit with the fans, with all of his matches packed with adoring fans.
Koepfer was impressed with the event “It’s been amazing how the community showed up every day, every night and full stands. It’s so fun to play in front of a lot of people especially at a challenger event it’s not normal”.
The Workday Canberra International, a combined ATP Challenger 125 and WTA 125 tournament opened the summer of tennis across Australia. The newly elevated event offered an increased prize pool of USD$320,000 alongside an increase in ATP and WTA ranking points for many of the world’s top players.
Tournament Director, Lawrence Robertson was thrilled with the tournament “over the past week, we have had the chance to see some of the greats of tennis up close with Aussie favourites and many of the world’s next generation of superstars. The response we’ve had from the Canberra public to come out and support the Workday Canberra International has been fantastic and we’ve seen record crowds come and sample not only world class tennis but the very best of local food and beverages.”
The international flavour of the event is best captured by the fact that we have welcomed 142 competitors from over 40 countries. As this was the first staging of the combined ATP & WTA 125 Challenger level event, then we have established a great foundation from which to further build the event to be Canberra’s premier sporting event.”
Robertson continues “this year’s Workday Canberra International has been a undoubted success. From the record crowds off the court, to welcoming a new three-year partnership with Workday and to having so many of the world’s best players choose to start their 2024 Australian Open preparations in the Nation’s capital – we could not have asked for a better week. Thank you to all our partners but most importantly all of the fans who came out to support the event. We are already looking ahead to the summer of 2025.”
Tennis ACT CEO Mark La Brooy echoed Robertson’s statement, “The past week has been a fantastic display of world-class tennis. We welcomed a record crowed with over 15,000 people through the gates across the week from ACT, NSW and further afield.”
“This year we were delighted to showcase the very best from food and beverages from the Canberra and region, including Bentspoke Brewing, Lake Geroge Winery, and Underground Spirits who crafted a limited addition ‘Quiet Please’ Gin. We had the courts full throughout the week with kids and adults jumping on court for a hit of Hot Shots Tennis, Cardio Tennis and Pop Tennis. There were also other events during the week showcasing First Nations, Women and Girls Programs and a Pride night showcasing Canberra’s Pink Tennis Club.”
La Brooy continued “Tennis is absolutely thriving in the ACT and region. We had a record number of participants in 2023, and the success of the Workday Canberra International in 2024 is a brilliant launch pad for the sport through 2024. We’ve seen it all week, with families on site, many picking up a racquet for the first time in a while, having fun and connecting through our wonderful game. I can’t wait to see more of it happening at our local clubs and through some of the best coaches in Australia, here on Canberra’s courts.”
The Workday Canberra International would not be made possible without the support from local partners and businesses, including ACT Government, Events ACT, Workday and many great local partners and sponsors. The event is also made possible by a dedicated ballkid squad and volunteer workforce.
Workday Canberra International 2024 results
Women’s Singles
Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (ESP) defeated Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-4 6-3
Men’s Singles
Dominik Koepfer (GER) defeated Jakub Mensik (CZE) 6-3 6-2.
Women’s Doubles
Veronika Erjavec (SLO) / Darja Semenistaja (LAT) defeated Kaylah McPhee (AUS) Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-2 6-4
Men’s Doubles
Daniel Rincon (ESP) / Abedallah Shelbayh (JOR) defeated Albano Olivetti (FRA) / Andre Goransson (SWE)
7-6(4), 6-3
Images: Nuria Parrizas-Diaz and Dominik Koepfer. Images by Anastasia Kachalkova.
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