7 March 2024 | Tennis West

This week we celebrate International Women’s Day this Friday. In the lead up, we will be promoting our Women’s & Girls Programs and highlighting the amazing women in our coaching, participation and competition community. 

Loton Park Tennis Club provides a safe, welcoming place for a tennis loving LGBTIQA+ community. The club holds a ladies’ only tennis night, once a month called “Femme Friday’s.”  

Last year, women accounted for just 3% of club memberships, with the ladies’ night increasing female membership to 20% in one year. 

Loton Park Tennis Club Femme Friday’s Organiser Melanie Willows was happy to see the community thrive. 

“We started the group to attract more women to our club, by creating a safe place for women in our community to enjoy tennis,” said Melanie. 

“We were joined by awesome coaches in Charleen Tiwari and Pip Pienaar for group coaching, social play and drinks.” 

“This approach turned out to be what the women wanted, with numbers doubling each month. Starting with 12, and now attracting up to 38 attendees, we have big plans for continuing our ladies’ night well into the future,” said Melanie. 

If you would like to join in, the next Femme Friday session is this Friday 8th March from 5 – 7 pm.  

At Manning Tennis Club, young superstar Madi Kent took up Wheelchair tennis after meeting Dylan Alcott at the Australian Open in 2018. 

“After seeing Dylan Alcott, I was keen to give wheelchair tennis a go. A couple of years later, I met Dwayne from Manning Tennis Club at a Paralympics Australia Come and Try day and then started weekly lessons shortly after.” 

“These days I split my time between wheelchair athletics and tennis and love them both. I feel that the two really complement each other and allow me to meet lots of great people as well as pursuing my sporting and health goals,” said Madi. 

Alifaye Gidgup, a young Noongar tennis player from Brunswick, WA began her tennis journey nine years ago, aged four. Since then, Alifaye has competed in many local and interstate tournaments and carnivals. 

Alifaye has won club championships at her local club in Brunswick, CBH Country Week Championships, represented WA in Darwin at the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival, was a ball kid at the Australian Open 2023 and participated in the Evonne Goolagong foundation camp in Melbourne in 2024. 

“I play tennis because my relatives and family used to play and because I love the sport. My goal is to one day be a professional tennis player or coach,” said Alifaye.