Australia , 31 December 2021 | Tennis Australia

The AO Holiday Program is underway, with tennis clubs across Australia preparing for more than 40,000 kids to hit the courts in the lead-up to Australian Open 2022.

Designed to create all the hype and excitement of a Grand Slam event, more than 275 Tennis Australia Coach Members will deliver the AO Holiday Program across some 450 venues Australia wide.

Presented with AO lanyards and player accreditation, participants will feel just like a pro with autographed balls, AO-themed photo opportunities and Bondi Sands sunscreen.

With recent AusPlay data reporting 1,529,000 Aussies, including 1,227,800 adults and 301,200 children, picking up a racquet throughout the latest reporting period*, tennis is the fastest-growing sport across all ages. Out-performing 15 other activities and sports, including AFL, basketball and soccer, tennis recorded a 37 per cent increase in adult participation, alongside a 29 percent increase in children participating in the sport.

“The AO Holiday Program is a wonderful opportunity to engage with kids, coaches and clubs around the country as we prepare for all the excitement of the 2022 Australian Open,” Tennis Australia Chief Tennis Officer Tom Larner said.

“The latest AusPlay data provides us with a really strong indication as to the health of Aussie tennis and provides us with the perfect platform to engage our grassroots audience further.

“It’s wonderful to think that alongside the professional players preparing for their summer of tennis down under, that we’ve got more than 40,000 kids across the country picking up a racquet, getting on court and getting excited about tennis and the upcoming Australian Open.”

To find your local AO Holiday Program contact your local Tennis Australia Coach Member or see below for a full list of participating coaches and venues:

*AusPlay is a large scale national population tracking survey funded and led by Sport Australia. AusPlay data included is from the most recent release for the 12 months ending June 2021.