Gold Coast, QLD, 3 July 2025 | Jackson Mansell

Australia’s Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams have become synonymous with fostering a strong team culture and camaraderie.

The concept of playing for something bigger than themselves has fuelled those who have worn the green and gold, leading to global success.

For 42 years, the Australian Teams Championships have played a key role in providing emerging players with the necessary qualities required to play in a team environment, and one day represent their country.

READ: Joint champions declared at 11/u and 13/u Australian Teams Championships

The two-week event sees Australia’s best tennis players between the ages of 10 and 15 compete for bragging rights in a state-versus-state competition.

“Tennis is a very individual sport, so there’s not many opportunities where players compete as a team,” Tournament Director Francis Soyer said. “So, we try and create that [team-like] experience for tennis players if we can throughout their journey.

“A lot of players that have developed [over] the journey and have gone on to be professional players or even coaches, they always speak very fondly of their experience within a team environment.”

The tournament’s honour roll features the likes of Thanasi Kokkinakis, who helped South Australia to the Sproule Stephens Trophy – given to the 14/u boys’ champions – against Nick Kyrgios’ ACT in 2009.

Their team photos from that day, among those of other past champions, surround the courts at KDV Sport on the Gold Coast, where the championships are currently held.

GALLERY: Meet the winners of the 2025 11/u and 13/u Australian Teams Championships

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve had a really good crop of young Aussie players come through [this event] and become professional players, which has happened over the tournament’s history,” Soyer said.

“Adults and so forth will tell their kids that Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis played here, and they don’t really believe it, but now that they see it on the walls, hopefully it springs to their mind.”

Queenslander Tori Russell competed in her fourth Australian Teams Championships, leading her state to back-to-back 15/u titles.

The Australian Open 2025 girls’ singles competitor has added motivation when she competes in the tournament.

“I really enjoy these team competitions, especially here, right in my backyard,” she said before the event. “I really enjoy representing something more than myself, and hopefully I can do my state proud this week.”

The Australian Teams Championships not only benefit the players, but they also benefit the coaches. South Australian 11/u boys and 15/u girls coach, Sandon Stolle, says the tournament provides coaches with enhanced insight into players’ processes throughout a match, giving them instant feedback.

“It’s actually an opportunity for coaches, like myself, to sit on the court with the players, I think that’s a unique part of this event,” the former doubles world No.2 said.

“[You] get to listen to them a little bit, [identify] what they’re going through and try and talk them through the match a little bit more. That’s something that they don’t [usually] get. With tennis being an individual sport, they’re always having to do that verbalisation internally.”

A former Davis Cup player himself, Stolle is a fan of the Team Championships concept as it emphasises the importance of teamwork.

“I like the format when it’s a rubber-all in the singles, and it comes down to doubles and the importance of doubles and really pushing the skills with the doubles onto the kids as well,” he said. “I always value the doubles, being a former player myself and picking up those skills, they transfer a lot into singles.

“The kids that do play in [the Australian Teams Championships] really embrace it and do enjoy it because it’s very competitive and it’s great team bonding and [a great] team environment.”

Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to hit the court and have some fun!