The Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards celebrate and recognise the performances, achievements and contributions made by members of the tennis family each year.

Nomination process

A new nomination process for the Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards was introduced in 2016.

All state and territory award winners will automatically be nominated for their equivalent national award. The Selection Panels will choose the finalists for each award category from these nominees.

This process is designed to encourage the top candidates in each state and territory to put themselves forward for their Member Association awards, and will ensure representatives from across the national tennis community are recognised as Australian Tennis Awards winners.

Award categories

NEWCOMBE MEDAL

The Newcombe Medal is awarded annually to Australia’s most outstanding elite tennis player and ambassador for the sport. Nominees for the award are selected by an esteemed panel of Australian champions and highly respected individuals in the tennis community. The award is named in honour of the achievements of Australian tennis legend John Newcombe.

The Newcombe Medal is a closed award. Nominations and the award recipient are selected by a panel appointed by Tennis Australia.

SPIRIT OF TENNIS AWARD

The Spirit of Tennis Award recognises an individual who has personified the essence of leadership, passion, sportsmanship, goodwill and dedication to the sport while making a major contribution to the stature of tennis.

The Spirit of Tennis Award is a closed award.

COACHING EXCELLENCE – PERFORMANCE

The high performance coach is instrumental in producing successful elite tennis players. The recipient of this award is delivering a quality, comprehensive, holistic coaching program that focuses on the technical, tactical, physical and psychological development of high performance players. In addition, the coach will currently be coaching junior and/or adult players who have achieved outstanding results and travel regularly to tournaments with his/her high performance players.

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COACHING EXCELLENCE – CLUB

This award recognises coaches who work within their local communities. The coach provides quality coaching programs, is actively involved in growing the game and provides competition opportunities for players to progress their game.

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COACHING EXCELLENCE – DEVELOPMENT

The Talent Development coach is instrumental in developing successful high performance tennis players. The recipient of this award is delivering a quality, comprehensive, holistic coaching program that focuses on the technical, tactical, physical and psychological development of talented athletes; primarily 14 years and under. In addition, the coach will currently be coaching junior players who have achieved outstanding results, travel to tournaments with his/her players and be engaged in Project Talent initiatives.

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JUNIOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

The Junior Athlete of the Year award is given to the player aged 18 years and under who has achieved a commendable ranking in his/her age group (ATP/WTA/ITF/AR), has demonstrated a record of playing for Australia in teams events and has displayed a positive attitude at all times.

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MOST OUTSTANDING ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

The Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability is awarded to a player who has performed consistently over the award period, competed at the highest level within their disability event type and has displayed a positive attitude at all times.

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VOLUNTEER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The volunteer often goes unrewarded for the many hours of work they contribute to tennis. This award honours the volunteers within tennis who foster relationships within and between their club and the community, and recognises the contribution they make to the sport, specifically in the area of delivering more active players.

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MOST OUTSTANDING 30+ TENNIS MASTER

The mission of 30+ masters tennis is to increase the playing opportunities and social interaction for tennis players of all standards over the age of 30. This award recognises involvement in 30+ masters tennis not only as a player, but also in raising the public profile of 30+ masters tennis through demonstrated behaviours that exhibit a high level of integrity on top of their excellence in playing performance.

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EXCELLENCE IN OFFICIATING

Officials play an important role in tennis, and set the standards at tournaments of all levels. The recipient of this award has provided an outstanding contribution to tennis officiating in Australia through their dedication, skill, attitude and knowledge. Their performances set them apart from their peers at either a domestic or international level and they have been a positive role model for other tennis officials.

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MOST OUTSTANDING TENNIS CLUB OR VENUE

Tennis clubs and centres provide facilities and programs to the community that get people playing tennis. This award recognises clubs that have an inviting culture, are accessible to the public, have implemented Tennis Australia programs and have increased competitive opportunities for players.

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MOST OUTSTANDING EVENT

The Most Outstanding Professional Tournament is selected from Australian Pro Tour, Australian Money Tournament or Junior Tour events. These events are the stepping stones for players to develop their games. The recipient of this award will have offered a complete package of on- and off-court activities and player amenities to a high standard allowing for a positive tournament atmosphere and implemented strategies to engage local sponsors, media attention and community involvement.

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MOST OUTSTANDING SCHOOL

Schools play an important role in the tennis community by introducing primary and secondary students to tennis and providing links to their local club and coach. This award recognises schools that have aligned with a Tennis Australia qualified coach, have a dedicated staff member assigned to tennis, have strong links with the local club and coach and have incorporated tennis as part of the curriculum.

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