Australia, 5 March 2024 | tennis.com.au

Inspiration aplenty was served up this summer at AO Holiday Programs presented by Weet-Bix.

The programs provide an opportunity for children of all ages and abilities to pick up a racquet and play tennis at clubs across the country.

Yvonne Fantin, the head coach from Topseed Tennis Academy, ran AO Holiday Programs at three tennis clubs in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

“Our AO Holiday Program was a huge success, with over 100 participants taking part,” Fantin said.

“It’s one of the highlights of our coaching year, with all participants going into the draw to win tickets to the Australian Open.

“The Australian Open serves as a powerful catalyst in inspiring children to pick up a racquet and hit the courts. It’s great to see the buzz it creates amongst our juniors.”

The AO Holiday Programs proved a hit in the nation’s capital too.

Robert Jamieson, from the Canberra School of Tennis, ran several different versions to cater for beginners through to squad players.

“We held a pre-Christmas camp which had 62 students participate and we had 155 juniors take part in camps in January during the Australian Open,” Jamieson said.

“Our highlight of the camps is seeing new and existing students take part and gain a higher level of enthusiasm for tennis.

“This is especially higher during the Australian Open, as we had the TV on for everyone to keep track of who is playing.

“We also created teams that were named after the pro players. All kids were placed randomly and earned points for their team, with the winners receiving a prize at the end of the camp.”

The AO Holiday Programs presented by Weet-Bix run across all school holiday periods, so keep an eye out for any planned in your local area in coming weeks.

Looking for some school holiday fun: Visit the AO Holiday Programs content hub to have fun and ace it off the court!