13 December 2023 | Tennis Tasmania

Tasmanian, Brendon Oliver-Ewen emerged triumphant as the recipient of the prestigious Tennis Australia Volunteer Achievement Award at the 2023 Newcombe Medal, Tennis Australia Awards evening in Melbourne on Monday night.

“We are incredibly proud of Brendon’s achievement, which recognises his consistent service and commitment to the sport of tennis in Tasmania throughout the year,” Tennis Tasmania General Manager, Darren Sturgess said.

“This is Tasmania’s first Tennis Australia Award in 12 years, having last won the Best Tournament category for the Burnie International in 2010 and 2011.”

“Brendon and many others in Hobart have found a sporting home in the local tennis community, because we truly are a very welcoming community,” he said.

Brendon has been an integral part of the Hobart Out Tennis community, where his unwavering commitment has significantly contributed to the growth and inclusivity of the club. His efforts in fostering a harmonious bond between diversity, pride, and the LGBTQIA+ community within tennis and broader sporting organisations have garnered widespread recognition.

“Hobart Out Tennis is the first LGBTQIA+ sporting club in Tasmania and it’s a mechanism for the community to come together and form relationships and form a role withing Tasmanian society,” Brendon Oliver-Ewen said.

“I’m one of so many people who’ve made this happen; I could easily name 30 people who’ve contributed to the club we’ve formed.

“Every single person in Hobart Out Tennis recognises that it’s an opportunity for them to be accepted and so they all volunteer their time, their passion, their courage and their authenticity to make the club happen. So, this is absolutely for all of them, not just for me,” Oliver-Ewen said.

Tennis Tasmania congratulates Brendon Oliver-Ewen on this well-deserved achievement and looks forward to continued collaboration in fostering a vibrant and inclusive tennis culture.