Melbourne Park, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia, 1 September 2015 | Tennis Australia

Twelve of Australia’s rising female tennis players will play off at the WTA Future Stars national final on Sunday 6 September at Sydney Olympic Park for a place in the final in Singapore.

Qualifying events were held in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, with the winner and runner-up from each event progressing to the national final.

Seventeen countries across the Asia-Pacific are taking part in the program, with the top 14/U and 16/U girls from each nation competing at the WTA Future Stars final. This event is held in conjunction with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, which will feature the top eight WTA singles players, and top eight doubles teams. World No.1 Serena Williams is the first player to qualify for the event in October.

“This is a fantastic initiative for girls in tennis and we’ve been thrilled to work with the schools and WTA on these events,” said Rebecca McDonald, Tennis Australia Schools Manager.

“We have been really pleased with the level of competition so far and the girls who have made it through to the final are so excited about the prospect of going to Singapore and having the chance to play alongside the world’s best female players.

“The WTA Future Stars initiative is another opportunity to promote our tennis in schools programs to girls and encourage them to develop skills and friendships through participation. The chance to play on the world stage with some of the biggest names in women’s sport is an absolute bonus,” McDonald continued.

As well as having the opportunity to play on centre court at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the winners will join top players such as Williams at the WTA Finals Draw Ceremony and mingle with WTA legends of the game.

WTA Finals Tournament Director and WTA Vice President APAC Melissa Pine is excited about the program being embraced in the Asia-Pacific.

“We are thrilled that Australia has joined the WTA Future Stars initiative this year. We are excited to welcome this young talent to Singapore to contend for the title against their peers in the region, and we look forward to providing a platform for the next generation of players in Asia-Pacific,” Pine said.

Launched in 2014 with 12 countries from across the Asia-Pacific taking part, this year’s WTA Future Stars invitations were extended to an increased number of countries, including Australia. The WTA Future Stars program is designed to inspire and develop the next generation of tennis professionals by providing opportunities within the sport for young girls.

The full list of participating countries is; Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, India, Chinese-Taipei, New Zealand, Nepal and Hong Kong.