21 October 2025 | Tennis Queensland

A new crop of Aussie tennis players is set to benefit from the Ashley Cooper Scholarship, established in honour of tennis legend Ashley Cooper AO to help young tennis players deliver on their elite potential.

The Ashley Cooper Scholarship is awarded to young Australian athletes aged 12-24 with the purpose to identify tennis players who display the same great attitude, values and prowess that Cooper was known for.

Hayden Jones, Alana Subasic, Taylah Preston, Matthew Dellavedova, Elena Micic and Jacob Bradshaw are among the talented young players who have been awarded the scholarship this year for exhibiting all the values that Cooper demonstrated.

This scholarship is supported by the friends and family of Ashley Cooper and the Australian Tennis Foundation (ATF).

About Ashley Cooper AO

Ashley Cooper played in the golden era of Australian men’s tennis during which he won eight Grand Slam titles including the Australian, Wimbledon and US singles titles in 1958.

He was a right-handed, serve-and-volley player who was especially effective against left-handed opponents.

After a short professional career, Cooper returned to Brisbane where he had a successful business career and then served Tennis Queensland and Tennis Australia as an administrator.

In his role as President of Tennis Queensland he oversaw the creation of the world-class Queensland Tennis Centre, including the jewel in the crown, Pat Rafter Arena. During his tenure, the old Milton courts were demolished and a new tennis centre built on the site of an abandoned power station.

Throughout his life Cooper was honoured for the roles he played, including the Order of Australia, International and Australian Tennis Halls of Fame and Queensland Sports Hall of Fame. The Rod Laver Walking Bridge leads from Yerongpilly Rail Station to The Ashley Cooper River Walk, giving visitors access to the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Ashley Cooper passed away in May 2020 following a long illness. He was aged 83.

About the 2025 Ashley Cooper Scholarship Recipients

Hayden Jones, 19 (Qld)

Current ITF ranking: 918

Australian Open Qualifying – lost in first round, practice partner for Carlos Alcaraz

Hayden is building positive momentum on the ITF circuit, stringing together back-to-back match victories in August.

Hayden has officially committed to play collegiate tennis at the University of Illinois, joining the Fighting Illini men’s tennis program starting in the fall of 2025. He signed a scholarship agreement and is part of Illinois’ 2025 signing class.

Alana Subasic, 18 (Qld)

Current ITF ranking: 677

Australian Open Qualifying – lost in first round

Alana has a solid win-loss tally this year, though she recently faced a tight defeat. Her ranking reflects steady performance on the ITF circuit.

Jacob Bradshaw, 22 (Qld)

Current ITF ranking: 828

Brisbane International – lost in first qualifying round

Adeliade International – lost in second qualifying round

Jacob is actively competing on the ITF circuit with a roughly balanced win-loss scale. He reached the qualifying final in Adelaide and continues to face tight battles in matches like Wuning.

Taylah Preston, 19 (WA)

Current ITF ranking: 259 

Australian Open Qualifying – lost in second round

Canberra International – reached quarter finals

Taylah has shown strong form in doubles—clinching the Cancun title—and continues to push through qualifying rounds in singles, most recently making the final qualifying round in Warsaw.

Matthew Dellavedova, 25 (Vic)

Current ITF ranking: 434

Australian Open Qualifying – lost in first round

AO 1 Point Slam- Participated in this unique exhibition event during the Australian Open’s opening week, where matches were decided by a single point.
Matthew has shown competitive spirit in Futures events post-June—winning multiple rounds and reaching a semifinal—though he struggled to progress in the Challenger event due to a retirement.

Elena Micic, 21 (Vic)

Current ITF ranking: 361

Australian Open Qualifying – defeated in the final qualifying round

Elena’s consistent participation across mid-level ITF events is paying off—she advanced to at least one semifinal in July and continued into August with another strong showing in Vigo.

To learn more about the Ashley Cooper Scholarship, please click here. 
*All rankings are as of 20/09/2025.