Melbourne, Australia, 29 August 2013 | aoblitz.com.au

As part of the build-up to Australian Open 2014, you can connect with the year’s first Grand Slam event like never before thanks to the AO Blitz.

From October, you can begin completing a series of tennis-related challenges – either representing yourself, your school or your tennis club – to go into the running to win some incredible prizes.

And with every challenge you complete earning points for your home town, you could see your town being represented by one of the top players during Australian Open 2014. The more points you earn by completing challenges, the higher your town will finish on the leaderboard.

The top 256 towns taking part in the AO Blitz will be represented by a male or female player during the tournament; a coin toss will decide which top town on the leaderboard wins the No.1 men’s or women’s seed.

The towns represented by the Australian Open 2014 men’s and women’s champions will be treated to an AO Blitz party for the entire community and other great prizes.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg – there are also prizes for schools, clubs, individuals and the highest fundraisers, while everyone who registers for the AO Blitz goes into a major prize draw.

> watch Billy Slater pledge his support for Innisfail in the AO Blitz

The challenges

Whether you’re a regular player or have never before picked up a racquet, AO Blitz challenges are designed to be fun and accessible to everyone.

You can win points by performing a special tennis trick, taking a photo of your pet dressed up as a tennis player, donating money to charity partners National Breast Cancer Foundation and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, or simply by playing tennis.

And that’s just to name a few.

By pre-registering now, you will be informed of the challenges you can take – there’s 34 to start off the AO Blitz, with more to be added along the way – and when you can start taking them.

You’ve got until 7 January 2014 to complete as many as you can to earn maximum points.

What you can do now

In the meantime, keep an eye out for AO Blitz free community participation days, which will be popping up all over Australia.

These events will promote both tennis and the AO Blitz in a festive atmosphere, and by attending you can enjoy free giveaways and the chance to get up close to the Australian Open trophies, while trying out MLC Tennis Hot Shots or Cardio Tennis.

And don’t forget to register for the AO Blitz and follow online at facebook.com/AOBlitz and @aoblitz for updates on challenges and prizes.

For more information, visit aoblitz.com.au.