Briohny Lebbink from Macedon Tennis Club never thought she would be someone who’d play competitive tennis.
As someone who had barely swung a racquet or stepped foot on a tennis court, the thought of competing always seemed a step too far.
That is, until a good friend introduced Lebbink to Cardio Tennis at her local club.
“I didn't have a [tennis] background before Cardio Tennis,” said Lebbink. “That's how I started playing tennis. One of my girlfriends who had a history in tennis … she said, ‘I think you should come. I think you'll really like it.’
“I did love it.”
What started as a casual and non-committal fitness outlet led to so much more. Lebbink, mother of an 11-year-old daughter who’s followed in her footsteps and also taken up tennis, saw her Cardio Tennis journey as an act of self-care, a rare moment in the day when she could focus solely on herself, her fitness, and her friends.
“I thought it was a fun environment to be in,” Lebbink said, “and at first, my goal was just to hit the ball. I didn't care where it went, just if I actually made contact with the racquet.”
She enjoyed it so much so that she convinced other friends, who are also mothers, to join.
“I've encouraged a couple of the other mums from school to come along and they've been loving it,” she said.
“They've been all, ‘well this is some time for me’. So, you're working out, but you're enjoying yourself at the same time. And … we all go for a walk around the oval after we've finished cardio as our own cool down now as well.
“It brings people together at the same time.”
Between school drop-offs, pick-ups and errands, finding time to do the things you love – especially for a mother of young children – can be difficult. For Lebbink, it’s the flexibility of Cardio Tennis that works so well.
“You're getting mums [whose] kids play tennis, their kids go to coaching for tennis, but they're not necessarily doing it themselves,” she explained. “I've said, ‘why don't you come and try Cardio on a Monday?’. We do it straight after school drop-offs. And so, a few of them have got involved that way.
“I think it is a fun way to lean into tennis, and then it's a fun way to then be part of the tennis club without having to be serious about tennis as well.”
Lebbink was one of the select few who were invited to play Cardio Tennis at Margaret Court Arena during Australian Open 2026.
“That was a great experience to do that, to come out of [the Walk of Champions] and then to come onto the court and see it from the [player’s] perspective,” she reflected. “To be down on the court and see how the players must feel, having everybody's eyes [looking] down on you.”
Not only did Lebbink and the Cardio Tennis crew enjoy the opportunity to hit on court, but they were also joined by Jelena Dokic, ambassador for Cardio Tennis presented by Chemist Warehouse.
From never picking up a racquet herself, to finding herself standing on a Grand Slam stage, Lebbink’s tennis journey has taken a delightful twist. But her parting message about Cardio Tennis doesn’t really have much to do with tennis at all.
“A lot of women need that social connection too. And that's what they get out of a group fitness class. And that's what cardio is offering. It's offering a bit of a connection … you don't need to be confident enough to play [competition tennis] or the skill set,” she said.
“You can just go and enjoy yourself.”