Melbourne, Australia, 30 January 2022 | tennis.com.au

Tennis courts across the country are set to throw open their gates and offer 10,000 hours of free court hire over the next month in celebration of the spectacular Aussie success stories at the Australian Open this year.

The newly crowned Australian Open women’s singles champion Ash Barty led the charge and was one of 74 Australians who competed across men’s, women’s, wheelchair and junior events this January.

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis won their maiden Grand Slam title in the men’s doubles, the 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott reached the quad wheelchair singles final, Jaimee Fourlis and Jason Kubler made the final in mixed doubles and Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell were runners-up in the men’s doubles.

> READ: Kokkinakis and Kyrgios basking in AO 2022 glory

The 10,000 hours of free court hire is designed to fuel the current surge in tennis participation and capitalise on the excitement of an Australian Open that has showcased both spectacular tennis and stunning results for Australian players.

The latest AusPlay data* reports that 1,529,000 Aussies, including 1,227,800 adults and 301,200 children, are already hitting courts across the country, and the free court hire offer encourages more Aussies to play more tennis more often.

Already dubbed the fastest growing sport across all ages, tennis out-performed 15 other activities and sports, including AFL, basketball and soccer, with a 37 per cent increase in adult participation alongside a 29 per cent increase in children picking up a racquet in the last 12 months.

“There’s simply no better way to celebrate the success of our Aussie players than by giving free access to tennis to as many people as we can, right across the country,” Tennis Australia Chief Tennis Officer Tom Larner said.

“Connecting grassroots tennis to all the excitement of the Australian Open plays a crucial role in growing interest and participation in the sport at all levels, and for all ages. We are incredibly fortunate to stage a Grand Slam tournament right here – as Ash Barty says, in our backyard – and giving more people the opportunity to enjoy playing is a big win for us all.

> READ: Barty joins Grand Slam greats

“Whether you’ve been playing tennis your whole life or are inspired to pick up a racquet and get on court for the very first time, tennis clubs around Australia are ready to welcome you with open arms.

“For a number of years now we’ve also worked tirelessly to make tennis more accessible and up our digital game. Now more than 75 per cent of the Australian population has access to online court bookings through play.tennis.com.au, so it’s easier than ever before to find a court, book online, and redeem the free hour of court hire.”

The free hour of court hire is available to all Australians with one booking per person, with a booking fee cap of $20. Head to www.play.tennis.com.au/court-hire to redeem the free court hire. Enter code FREECOURT at checkout. The offer is valid from now until Monday 28 February 2022.

Summer of Tennis fast facts

Aussies at AO 2022:

• Seventy-four Aussies competed at Australian Open 2022 in women’s, men’s, wheelchair, juniors, singles, doubles and mixed doubles events
• Ash Barty claimed the Australian Open singles title to secure her third Grand Slam title
• Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis paired to win the Australian Open men’s doubles title
• A further five Aussies made the final round of the tournament including finalists Dylan Alcott, Matthew Ebden, Max Purcell, Jaimee Fourlis and Jason Kubler
• Five more Aussies made the semifinals: Heath Davidson, Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz, John Peers, Taylah Preston and Ben Weekes.

Lead-in events:

• 157 Aussies took part in AO lead-in events: ATP Cup, Adelaide International, Melbourne Summer Set, Sydney Tennis Classic, Bendigo International, Traralgon International, Victorian Wheelchair Open, Melbourne Wheelchair Open and ITF Juniors Traralgon
• Ash Barty claimed the Adelaide International singles title, as well as the doubles title with Storm Sanders
• Thanasi Kokkinakis won his maiden ATP title in front of a home crowd at the Adelaide International
• John Peers took home the Sydney Tennis Classic doubles with partner Filip Polasek
• Dylan Alcott claimed the Victorian Wheelchair Open quad singles crown and teamed up with Heath Davidson to win the doubles

Grassroots participation:

• 1.529 million Australians played tennis in the 12 months ending June 2021 according to the latest AusPlay data
• Adult participation grew 37 per cent to 1.2278 million over the 12 months
• Kids participation grew 29 per cent to 301,200 over the same time period
• Both adults and kids had the highest percentage increase of any of the top 15 activities listed in the AusPlay data.

*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.