31 May 2026 | Tennis NT

Sundays at the Darwin International Tennis Centre are always special, but the finals of the J30 Darwin Junior International brought a whole new level of energy both on and off the court. While the players battled for the title, spectators and families were treated to a festival atmosphere. From lawn games and face painting to sweet treats from Soft Serve Fantasy, the crowd was kept thoroughly entertained. The Tip Top Circus brought the flair, Animal Encounters NT delighted attendees with a hands-on petting zoo, and plenty of crowd members walked away with tennis prizes just for having a go! But the real history was made on the court, where two rising stars captured major career milestones.

Singles: A Day of Firsts on Centre Court

Both the Girls’ and Boys’ singles champions walked off centre court having secured their very first ITF titles.

Girls’ Singles: Cilek’s Grit Pays Off

• • Champion: Musemma Cilek (VIC) [2]

• • Finalist: Taylah Lessue (SA) [1]

• • Score: 7-5, 6-4

For Victoria’s Musemma Cilek, this victory was incredibly sweet. Having reached finals before but falling just short of the finish line, Cilek was thrilled with the breakthrough, praising her team’s hard work to secure the milestone. Her championship win caps off a week defined by pure grit. Cilek survived a grueling, grinding semifinal against Western Australia’s Claudia Shearwood, fighting back from a first-set bagel to win 0-6, 6-3, 7-6(4). She carried that momentum into Sunday to take down the top seed in straight sets.

Boys’ Singles: Palombo Dominates

• • Champion: Novak Palombo (VIC) [4]

• • Finalist: Sebastian Lavorato (NSW)

• • Score: 6-1, 7-6(1)

In the Boys’ draw, fourth-seeded Novak Palombo put on a clinic. After cruising through the first set 6-1, Palombo was pushed to the limit by New South Wales’ Sebastian Lavorato in the second. However, the Victorian held his nerve, slamming the door shut with a dominant 7-1 performance in the tiebreak to lift his maiden ITF trophy. How they’re celebrating: Winning an international title is hard work, and both singles champions know exactly how to unwind. Musemma and Novak will be heading to the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets tonight to relax, watch the iconic Darwin sunset, and celebrate with some amazing food.

Doubles: Explosive Action and Clean Sweeps

The high-octane drama wasn’t just limited to singles, with the doubles draws providing plenty of fireworks.

Boys’ Doubles: Court 9 Explodes

• • Champions: Jason Chu (NSW) & Easeo Kim (VIC)

• • Finalists: Kai Coghlan (SA) & Andy Venning (SA)

• • Score: 7-6(5), 7-5

If you were anywhere near Court 9, you certainly heard it. The Boys’ Doubles final was a loud, explosive, and hyper-competitive affair. Both pairings had fought tooth and nail just to get to Sunday, surviving razor-thin semifinal matches. In the end, the NSW/VIC duo of Chu and Kim proved just a bit sharper in the crucial moments, snatching the title.

Girls’ Doubles: Cilek Doubles Up

• • Champions: Musemma Cilek (VIC) & Maddison Stares (NSW)

• • Finalists: Sofia Haddock (SA) & Joyce Sun (NSW)

• • Score: 6-4, 6-3

Musemma Cilek completed the dream tournament by doing the double. Teaming up with NSW’s Maddison Stares, the duo put on a clinical performance to defeat Haddock and Sun. Just like the boys, both of these teams showed immense resilience earlier in the week, having booked their spots in the final via dramatic match tiebreakers in the semifinals.

On to the Next: The J60 NT Junior International

While one fantastic tournament closes, the next has already begun! Running right alongside Sunday’s J30 finals was the action for the J60 NT Junior International Qualifying rounds. The home crowd already has plenty to cheer about. In an incredible “NT Proud” moment, Tennis Palmerston’s own Taylor Albury put on a stellar performance to secure her spot in the qualifying draw. Albury pulled off a massive upset, taking down the number one seed, Ella Stares (NSW), in a thrilling match that went right down to the wire, finishing 7-5, 6-1 [10-8]. The momentum isn’t stopping—good luck to all the players moving into the J60 tournament this week!

Key Links

• • Missed a match? See the full tournament draws and results [HERE].

• • Capture the action: Check out the incredible action shots taken by the amazing Celina Whan in our Facebook Album [HERE].

  • NT News Article: Check out what NT News released on June 5th [HERE]