Australia, 13 September 2023 | Leigh Rogers

Samantha Jade is an Australian entertainer.

She became a household name after winning The X Factor Australia in 2012, with her first single “What You’ve Done to Me” debuting at No.1 on the Australian charts.

Jade headlined Kids Tennis Day at Australian Open 2014, where she performed to a packed Rod Laver Arena crowd.

She is also an actress, earning a Logie Award nomination for her portrayal of Kylie Minogue in the INXS: Never Tear Us Apart miniseries, and has appeared on Home and Away.

In our Celebrity Match series, Jade shares fond childhood memories involving tennis and her favourite Australian Open experiences …

Tell us about your tennis experience. Do you play?

My mum and dad would actually always play tennis together and were both quite good. I was okay, but definitely should stick to singing!

Do you have a favourite tennis memory?

I remember my family and I watching Steffi Graf win Wimbledon on television when I was about seven. She was my mum’s favourite player, so we were all cheering her on. I remember my mum jumping up and down, being so excited when she won!

What is your favourite memory from performing at the Australian Open?

I loved performing at the Australian Open! It is such an incredible sporting event to be a part of.

My absolute favourite memory from the Australian Open is shooting a commercial for Woolies. It was so much fun and I got to meet so many nice ballkids who told me their dream was to one day play tennis professionally.

Samantha Jade filming a commercial with Australian Open ballkids at Melbourne Park in 2015.

Who is your favourite tennis player to watch and why?

Serena Williams is definitely my favourite. She was incredible to watch. So fearless and strong. She just played with such class.

If you could meet any tennis player, who would it be and why?

Serena Williams for sure, I just love her!

Finally, can you please finish this sentence for us …

The best part of the Australian Open is … getting to see the best players in the world play in our country.

> Read more interviews from our Celebrity Match series

Book online, play today: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!