Canberra, Australia, 5 April 2021 | Tennis Australia

Australia’s top junior tennis players are preparing for the 2021 12/u & 14/u Australian Claycourt Championships presented by Kia in Canberra, ACT, with action set to get underway from Tuesday 6 to Sunday 11 April.

The competition marks the return of national junior tournaments following a year of disruption due to COVID-19.

A total of 128 junior players will take to the court at the Canberra Tennis Centre in Lyneham, competing for valuable Australian ranking points and national titles in their respective age groups.

“Our junior events were significantly impacted by the pandemic in 2020 so it’s exciting to launch a new calendar and series of tournaments to provide competition opportunities for our best young players,” Tournament Director Francis Soyer said.

“Tournaments like the Australian Claycourt Championships are integral to the development of young players, and it’s crucial for them to have the opportunity to benchmark their skills against competitors in their age group,” Soyer continued.

Supporting local participation and development within the next generation of Australian tennis is of great importance to us,” Dean Norbiato, General Manager of Marketing Kia Australia said

“These championships help ambitious, young and talented kids get out on the courts to reach their full potential and we’re proud to be a part of that – particularly after the year that was.”

Tennis ACT CEO Kim Kachel is looking forward to hosting the event in Canberra. “12/u & 14/u Australian Claycourt Championships is a fantastic event for the ACT and the whole region, not only for locals, but for everyone  who travels to the event and can experience all that Canberra has to offer, including our great facilities here at the Canberra Tennis Centre.

“The ACT has a proud history hosting these types of tournaments, with the likes of local players including Nick Kyrgios, Annerly Poulos and Charlie Camus all winning national championships over the years. World No.1 Ash Barty, 2019 Roland Garros Champion, is a previous national champion, which gives you an indication of the importance of these events for the development of our players.

“The Canberra tennis community will again have the opportunity to support our best local hope, Charlie Camus, when he leads the local charge in the 14/u age group this week.”

2021 Australian Claycourt Championships presented by Kia 

Three Australian junior championships take place every year and feature each of the Grand Slam surfaces – clay, grass and hardcourt. A junior teams championships will  be hosted at the Gold Coast in Queensland in 2021.

2021 calendar – Australian Junior Championships presented by Kia

• Claycourt Championships: 6-11 April (Canberra, ACT)

• Teams Championships: 27 June–1 July (Gold Coast, Qld)

• Grasscourt Championships: 5-10 October (Cottesloe, Perth, WA)

The tournament and participants entered in the event will follow all policies and protocols set in place by ACT Health in relation to COVID-19.