20 February 2023 | Tennis West

Tennis West is delighted have three finalists nominated for this month’s 2022 Sport West Awards at Optus Stadium.

Tennis West Chief Executive Officer Brett Patten has been nominated for the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) Sports Administrator of the Year.

Throughout 2021/22, Brett successfully led the organisation on a journey of change to adapt to a dynamic local sporting market and landscape. The changes implemented by Brett created the cornerstone to what has been exceptional achievement against participation growth, commercial partnerships, and performance targets with Tennis in WA.

Brett focused on Tennis West’s prior ways of working to deliver and implement successful Participation programs, grow competitions and league opportunities, grow events and marketing initiatives to bring local WA tennis to the forefront of the WA sporting community, created greater funding (Commercial and Government) opportunities and examined Tennis West staff’s impact against Tennis Australia’s Service Agreement and Tennis West Boards strategy plan.

Brett is committed to leading and building the Tennis West brand, so local tennis is recognised and viewed as a Tier 1 sport by the broader sporting community. The introduction of initiatives to ignite the growth of our local brand centered around formalising commercial partnerships and strengthening relationships with State and Federal Government representatives and local media stakeholders.

“I am honoured to be nominated for the DLGSC Sport Administrator of the Year and stand alongside other nominees who are making significant contributions to sports administration throughout Western Australia.

This nomination is a recognition of the collective efforts of the Tennis West Board, Tennis West Leaders, and incredible team I have the privilege to work alongside.

Tennis is a sport that has the power to bring people together and create a sense of community. That is why our focus has been on supporting tennis club growth and providing playing opportunities to attract and retain players. We are committed to making tennis accessible to anyone, anywhere, and anytime, regardless of their background or experience.

All these efforts are aimed at converting tennis fans into tennis participants and driving positive dialogue that raises the profile of tennis in the WA community. I am grateful to be part of a team that is dedicated to making tennis a sport for everyone and that believes in the power of sport to bring people together.

I look forward to continuing the work with the Tennis West team to build an exceptional future for tennis in Western Australia,” Patten said.

Two up and coming junior players Talia Gibson and Taylah Preston have both been nominated for the Rebel Junior Sports Star of the Year award.

The pair had an outstanding 2022 season with both players winning the Female Junior Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Newcombe Medal and the WA Junior Player of the Year at the 2021 and 2022 Tennis West Awards Night.

Talia Gibson made her debut at the Australian Open in January, receiving a wildcard to the women’s singles main draw off the back of a strong 2022 season.

More than 150 nominations were received across nine categories, with 40 finalists selected.

The SportWest Awards will take place on Thursday February 23 at Optus Stadium.