8 September 2023 | Tennis Queensland

Last week, the Queensland Tennis Centre came alive as the Metro Girls Gala Day returned for its second year, with 110 young players aged 5-8 years old hitting the courts for a fun day of tennis!

Much like the US Open, the Girls Gala Day was a celebration of tennis that created an inclusive atmosphere for girls from diverse backgrounds and skill levels to come together and connect with fellow players.

The day commenced with on-court sessions where players participated in a number of games, skill-enhancing drills, and match play, fostering an environment of learning and growth. Off the court, attendees enjoyed face painting and colouring-in areas adding a burst of creativity to the day.

The young players also had the opportunity to get up close and personal with professional tennis players Priscilla Hon and Lizette Cabrera, who took photos with the attendees and inspired the participants to dream big and enjoy tennis.

Tennis Queensland Board Director, Roanne Lemmon-Warde said, “It was great to see so many girls having fun. It’s important for girls to be together and act silly without feeling judged.”

“For me, if girls can have fun, they’ll continue to play tennis. It’s all about fun so they can come back next year and do it again.”

Professional tennis player, Lizette Cabrera said, “It’s always very inspiring seeing the young ones pick up a racquet. It makes me think back to the day when I was that age and hopefully, they continue to enjoy tennis.”

Professional tennis player, Priscilla Hon said, ”It was nice looking over while we were training to see how many girls were out playing today. It looks like they were having a really good time and it made me happy to see that.”

Closing the day, professional junior athlete Alana Subasic from the National Tennis Academy based here in Brisbane presented prizes to the players further inspiring participants to chase their tennis dreams.

Tennis has continued to make a strong commitment to women and girls, as outlined in the recently launched Tennis Queensland Gender Equity Plan. The Metro Girls Gala Day is a prime example of tennis’ ongoing commitment towards achieving our vision of ‘no limits for women and girls on and off the court’.

Great initiative from the Metropolitan Tennis Regional Assembly, clubs, and coaches in the region.

For more information on Women and Girls initiatives in Queensland and how to get involved, please visit: www.tennis.com.au/qld/clubs/women-girls