23 February 2023 | Tennis West

The women’s State League match between Dalkeith Tennis Club and Alexander Park Tennis Club is set to showcase inclusion and diversity with the launch of the inaugural Pride Match.

Off the backend of the Australian Open Glam Slam, Australia’s number one Pride sporting event, the pride match promises to be both an uplifting and educational day, designed to be a joyful celebration of the diverse LGBTQIA+ community.

Tennis Australia’s involvement and commitment in the LGBTQIA+ community has been strong with the launch of the inaugural Australian Open Pride Day in Melbourne which coincided with various tennis clubs around Australia hosting Pride Nights and with Sydney WorldPride 2023 with the goal to be the most inclusive and diverse sports in Australia.

Alexander Park captain Katy O’Shea says she is excited to be part of the Tennis West’s inaugural pride match.

“We pride ourselves to being an inclusive club and welcome everyone into our amazing club.

We’ve loved this season and it’s been a great to build together as a team and we are excited to play this weekend at Dalkeith. It’s a great club to play and it’s always played in good spirits.” O’Shea said.

The same could be said for hosts Dalkeith with captain Lauren Nikoloski excited to express their support through this event.

“It’s good to come together through acceptance and to respect one another as everyone has a right to personal choice of self-identity.” Nikoloski said.

Fellow Dalkeith player Charleen Tiwari said “the more we are vocal about LGBTQIA+ matters, the more we normalise being LGBTQIA+ and help create a more welcoming and inclusive society where everyone feels comfortable being themselves.”

The match will also play an important part in the make up of the top four with Alexander Park (1st on 165 points) only needing to win three rubbers against Dalkeith (4th on 94 points) to hold onto top spot. If Dalkeith lose, they will be relying on Peppermint Grove to defeat Greenwood to retain fourth spot.

Tennis West is committed to embracing diversity by ensuring the sport and events are welcoming, safe, and inclusive for everyone. Being inclusive reflects the diversity of our local communities and that everyone should have the opportunity to be included and engaged through tennis in a way that is positive and meaningful for them regardless of their sex, sexuality, gender identity or any other defining characteristic.

Players from both sides will wear special pride match socks and there will be a range of activities on the day.

Watch the live stream at livesport.video