26 September 2023 | Tennis West

Perth is set to host its second ITF Beach Open Tournament this weekend with the Facto Financial BT50 Beach Tennis Open to be played at the first dedicated Beach Arena in Australia at Scarborough. 

The event will run from 29th of September to 1st of October 2023 with matches starting at 7 am and running through until 7 pm held across two venues City Beach Sand Courts and finals at Beach Arena in Scarborough with free entry across the event. 

There are five categories ranging from Beginners to Pro with a prize pool of $4,000 shared between winners of the Pro category. 

This year the tournament has a new status on the ITF World Beach Tennis Tour going from a BT10 to BT50 which means prize money and more points for players. 

Running the tournament and the driving force behind getting the ITF Beach Tennis Tour to Perth is Beach Tennis WA President Tuko Maia. Born in Brazil but living in Australia since 2004, former professional fencer Tuko Maia has a degree in sports science, a postgraduate qualification in sports administration and has been submerged within sport for most of his adult life. 

It was while working at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games that he first discovered beach tennis on the sands of Rio de Janeiro, and he remembers musing why it was not visible back home in sports-mad Perth.   

A few months later Tuko met his future wife, Clarisse Menezes, in Paris and it became clear that she too was a beach tennis enthusiast having played in Rio with the likes of Joana Cortez and Samantha Barijan. 

As romance blossomed, so did conversations about establishing beach tennis in Australia and, while this particular strand of the story skips some broad strokes, their quest will this week assume a whole new dimension. 

“To bring an ITF beach tennis event back to Perth is a dream. It has taken a lot of work, but we love sport, and we want to transform people’s lives through beach tennis. 

“Every year we want to progress this event with the vision of getting to the status of a BT400 event. This year we have taken steps to enhance the event by getting BT50 status which attracted even more players to the shores of Perth.” 

“At the end of the day, we’re combining two passions – Australians love tennis, and they love the beach.”- Tuko Maia 

“Hosting the first ever ITF beach tennis tournament here in Australia last year was a landmark occasion,” said Rob Kennedy, Head of Tennis Development and Participation at Tennis West. 

“Last year was an unbelievable tournament, enjoyed by both players and spectators. The foundation has been laid and the tournament alongside beach tennis participation numbers continues to grow over the years. This event is shaping up to be even bigger and better than before.” 

“I’d love to see the door being opened for the best international beach tennis players to come and play on Australian shores, and from a development and participation perspective, we’d love to establish a pathway for anyone, regardless of age or ability, to get involved. 

“From seeing beach tennis in schools to competitions and leagues to ITF-level events, the opportunities are endless for the growth and development of beach tennis within Western Australia and across Australia.” 

For more information on Beach Tennis please visit: www.beachtenniswa.com.au 

Follow the tournament on: https://www.itftennis.com/en/tournament/bt50-beach-tennis-wa-open-2023/aus/2023/b-tour-aus-03a-2023/