30 September 2022 | Tennis Queensland

23-year-old Home Hill local, Adam Walton has been named as one of the first recipients of the Ashley Cooper Scholarship for 2022.

Starting his tennis career at the ripe age of 5 years old, Adam has an impressive list of accolades to his name. Most recently contesting the Semi-Finals at the Darwin International #2 in a grueling match against Dane Sweeny and is about to embark on a Cairns Tennis International campaign this week.

He has previously made the semifinals of the Australian 18/u Championships, reaching an ITF World Junior Ranking of No. 60 and represented the University of Tennessee in college tennis as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

His dedication to the sport was apparent in the early years with Adam winning the State School 10-12 Tennis Championship in 2011 as a 12 year old. He received a tennis scholarship to the Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie), which saw him move to Brisbane for his year 10, 11 and 12 schooling and compete in the GPS tennis competition. Whilst in Brisbane, he was welcomed into the National Tennis Academy (under coaches Brent Larkham and Chris Mahony), which further demonstrated his dedication to his game, with Walton having to navigate his way across Brisbane’s public transport network several nights a week for training.

It was his grassroots beginning at Home Hill and dedicated progression that has led him to where he is today as a worthy recipient for the inaugural Ashley Cooper Scholarship.

Home Hill Tennis Association representative Kate Casswell said, “We are immensely proud of him.  We were quite surprised to find a little kid with such great skill, the older kids always knew they were in for a battle because of his never give up attitude.”

“Adam, his older brother Jack and parents travelled to numerous tournaments in Queensland for many years. He represented the Burdekin with pride, always displaying a great attitude on and off the court. In 2016, receiving the Burdekin Shire Council Junior Sportsman of the year.”

The new scholarship has been established in honour of the late Ashley Cooper AO, whose strong legacy lives on in the sport today.

“Ashley was a legend of our sport whose contribution extended far beyond his exploits on the tennis court, it is only fitting that this scholarship is named in his honour,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.

Through this scholarship, administered by the Australian Tennis Foundation, more eligible young Aussie athletes will be able to realise their full potential by easing some of the financial difficulties associated with touring.

 

About Ashley Cooper AO

Ashley Cooper played in the golden era of Australian men’s tennis during which he won eight Grand Slam titles including the Australian, Wimbledon and US singles titles in 1958.

He was a right-handed, serve-and-volley player who was especially effective against left-handed opponents.

In 1953 he was selected with Roy Emerson as the junior member of Australia’s overseas touring team overseen by Harry Hopman. During that tour he practiced every day against Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Rex Hartwig, Neale Fraser and Mervyn Rose, building a camaraderie among the players as well as great mutual respect. This was illustrated when Cooper and Fraser shared a hotel room in London and ate breakfast together the day that they contested the Wimbledon final.

It was with Fraser that he won three of his four Grand Slam doubles crowns. In 1957, he led the Davis Cup team, that included Mal Anderson and Rose, to victory against the United States in the Challenge Round at Kooyong.

The following year the result was reversed and Cooper was so upset by the loss he tried to withdraw from a professional contract he had signed with Jack Kramer because he felt he owed Australia.

His public profile rose even higher when he married Helen Wood, the reigning Miss Australia in 1959. Their wedding attracted more than three thousand spectators some of whom clambered onto their car trying to get a closer look at the golden couple.

After a short professional career, Cooper returned to Brisbane where he had a successful business career before serving Tennis Queensland and Tennis Australia as an administrator.

In his role as President of Tennis Queensland he oversaw the development of the world-class Queensland Tennis Centre, including the jewel in the crown, Pat Rafter Arena.

During his tenure, the old Milton courts were demolished and a new tennis centre built on the site of an abandoned power station.

Throughout his life Cooper was honoured for the roles he played, receiving an Order of Australia and recognized in the International and Australian Tennis Halls of Fame and Queensland Sports Hall of Fame. The Rod Laver Walking Bridge leads from Yerongpilly Rail Station to The Ashley Cooper River Walk, giving visitors access to the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Ashley Cooper passed away in May 2020 following a long illness. He was aged 83.