Youth and experience to be recognised at Australian Tennis Awards
Athletes of all ages and abilities are nominated for the following categories, with the winners announced at the Australian Tennis Awards.
Melbourne, VIC, 2 December 2024 | Jackson Mansell
Australia’s biggest stars across all ages and abilities will be celebrated at the 2024 Australian Tennis Awards.
The awards will be held on Monday 9 December at Melbourne’s Palladium Ballroom, a night highlighted by the awarding of the Newcombe Medal to Australia’s most outstanding elite tennis player and ambassador for the sport.
MORE: Seven Aussies nominated for Newcombe Medal
The following award categories recognise longevity and inclusivity within the game of tennis, making it a game for everyone.
Here are the finalists in four awards categories honouring players of all ages and abilities.
Ava Beck (Vic): The 16-year-old had an emphatic rise in 2024. Ranked No.717 in the ITF girls’ rankings last September, Beck has since skyrocketed inside the top 100 in the space of 15 months. The Victorian won three ITF junior titles this season, in Mornington, Canberra and Miki. She capped her year by representing Australia at the Junior Billie Jean King Cup.
Emerson Jones (Qld): The Queenslander went from strength to strength in 2024. Twice a Grand Slam girls’ singles finalist, Jones became the first Australian since Jelena Dokic in 1998 to become ITF junior girls’ world No.1. Also on the junior circuit, the 16-year-old reigned supreme in the World Junior Tennis Finals. At professional level, Jones won her maiden ITF title in Sydney last month.
Maya Joint (Qld): Joint had a season to remember, beginning it world No.684 before soaring as high as world No.110 in October. The world’s second-highest ranked teenagers after Mirra Andreeva, the 18-year-old is excelling at a rate beyond her years. A highlight of Joint’s season was winning her first Grand Slam main-draw match at the US Open.
Renee Alame (NSW): The 15-year-old continued her upward trajectory this season, and now boasts career-high rankings in both the ITF junior singles and doubles. Inside the top 100 in both categories, the Sydneysider won four titles across both disciplines in 2024. She also made her junior Grand Slam debut at Melbourne Park, reaching the second round of the singles and the third round of the doubles.
Australian Tennis Awards Honour roll Female Junior Athlete of the Year |
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2023 | Taylah Preston (WA) |
2022 | Taylah Preston (WA), Talia Gibson (WA) |
2021 | Taylah Preston (WA) |
2020 | Not presented |
2019 | Talia Gibson (WA) |
2018 | Destanee Aiava (Vic) |
2017 | Destanee Aiava (Vic) |
2016 | Kimberly Birrell (Qld) |
2015 | Kimberly Birrell (Qld) |
2014 | Destanee Aiava (Vic) |
2013 | Ash Barty (Qld) |
2012 | Ash Barty (Qld) |
2011 | Ash Barty (Qld) |
2010 | Ash Barty (Qld) |
Cruz Hewitt (NSW): The son of Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton, Cruz achieved many firsts this year. Hewitt made his junior main-draw debut at Australian Open 2024 and cracked into the ITF boys’ top 100 for the first time. The 15-year-old won three junior titles, including the Oceania Closed Junior Championships, and was selected in Australia’s Junior Davis Cup team.
Hayden Jones (Qld): A three-time finalist for this award, the 18-year-old is hoping to finally be crowned winner. Jones’ season was highlighted by breaking into ITF Junior top 10, becoming the highest-ranked Australian boy since Alexei Popyrin in 2017. The Australian Open 2024 boys’ quarterfinalist won three ITF singles titles in Thailand and played in the World Junior Tennis Finals.
Jin Woodman (Vic): The 15-year-old announced himself as the new face of Australian wheelchair tennis in 2024, scaling new heights by winning 14 titles across boys’ singles, quad singles and quad doubles. He peaked at world No.3 in the ITF boys singles rankings and reached the top 20 in the quad singles. Woodman also represented Australia in the Boys’ World Team Cup.
Australian Tennis Awards Honour roll Male Junior Athlete of the Year |
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2023 | Charlie Camus (ACT) |
2022 | Edward Winter (SA) |
2021 | Philip Sekulic (Qld) |
2020 | Not presented |
2019 | Rinky Hijikata (NSW) |
2018 | Rinky Hijikata (NSW) |
2017 | Alex de Minaur (NSW) |
2016 | Alex de Minaur (NSW) |
2015 | Omar Jasika (Vic) |
2014 | Thanasi Kokkinakis (SA) |
2013 | Nick Kyrgios (ACT) |
2012 | Luke Saville (SA) |
2011 | Luke Saville (SA) |
2010 | Bernard Tomic (Qld) |
Glenn Busby (Vic): The 2011 winner of this award enjoyed another stellar season on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour in singles and doubles. With a combined 47-1 record over the two disciplines, the 67-year-old claimed both world championships in March. The world No.1 65+ singles player also led Australia to their third-straight Britannia Cup.
Kerryn Cyprien (Qld): Cyprien had sustained success across all formats in 2024. Ranked in the top 10 for singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in the over-55 category, the Queenslander won both doubles world championships in Mexico City. The 56-year-old represented Australia at the Maureen Connolly Cup in April – her eighth time being selected.
Stephen Dance (TAS): Dance had one of his best seasons to date. The 69-year-old became the 65+ doubles world No.1 for the first time in May, after winning his third Masters Tour 1000 title for the year. Also ranked world No.3 in singles, Dance’s all-round success earned him a seventh appearance in Australia’s Britannia Cup team.
Australian Tennis Awards Honour roll Most Outstanding 35+ Tennis Master |
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2023 | Brandon Lee Moore (NSW) |
2022 | Jarrod Broadbent (Vic) |
2021 | Sue Willis (ACT) |
2020 | Not presented |
2019 | Pat Moloney (ACT) |
2018 | Peter Froelich (Qld) |
2017 | Ros Balodis (ACT) |
2016 | Leanne Swaysland (NSW) |
2015 | Bob Howes (Vic) |
2014 | Ros Balodis (ACT) |
2013 | Ros Balodis (ACT) |
2012 | Andrew Rae (Vic) |
2011 | Glenn Busby (Vic) |
2010 | Andrew Rae (Vic) |
Archie Graham (Qld): Graham is aiming to win the award for a fourth time. The PWII-1 singles world No.1 started his season in scintillating form, winning the Australian Open, before claiming gold at the World Tennis Championships in France. It marks the second time in a row that Graham is year-end No.1.
Grace Hobbs (NSW): Hobbs dominated blind and low vision tennis competition in 2024. The IBTA B4 singles world No.1 won gold in the respective event at the Blind and Low Vision Tennis World Championships, as well as the women’s open doubles. She was also an integral part in Team NSW winning the Maurice Gleeson Cup at the Blind and Low Vision National Championships in July, winning the B4 singles and B2-4 doubles.
Michael Leigh (NSW): Leigh was one of Australia’s most decorated players at the IBTA Blind and Low Vision Tennis World Championships in October, where he won two gold medals. The New South Welshman won gold in the B3 singles, before teaming up with Ross Patterson to win the men’s open doubles competition. He also holds the Australian No.1 ranking in both the B3 singles and doubles.
Ross Patterson (TAS): Patterson once again had a perfect season in 2024. The Tasmanian went undefeated in B4 Blind and Low Vision singles competition, a campaign which included an Australian Championship title in July. The B4 singles world No.1 also had an impressive year in the doubles, where he excelled at national and international level. He won the B3-4 doubles at Australian Championships, as well as the men’s open doubles at the IBTA World Championships, alongside Michael Leigh.
Australian Tennis Awards Honour roll Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability |
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2023 | Archie Graham (Qld) |
2022 | Heath Davidson (Vic) |
2021 | Ben Weekes (NSW) |
2020 | Not presented |
2019 | Dylan Alcott (Vic) |
2018 | Archie Graham (Qld) |
2017 | Archie Graham (Qld) |
2016 | Heath Davidson (Vic), Dylan Alcott (Vic) |
2015 | Dylan Alcott (Vic) |
2014 | Adam Kellerman (NSW) |
2013 | Ben Weekes (NSW) |
2012 | Glen Flindell (Vic) |
2011 | Kelly Wren (NSW) |
2010 | Daniela Di Toro (Vic) |
The winners will be announced at the Australian Tennis Awards on Monday 11 December at Crown Casino. You can follow the event across the Tennis Australia social channels.
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