The 2026 Victorian Community Tennis Awards were held on Thursday 28 May at the iconic Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. The evening brought together passionate members of the Victorian tennis community to celebrate another remarkable year of achievements both on and off the court.
The cocktail style event provided the perfect setting for a night of celebration, connection, and recognition. Coaches, volunteers, officials, and club representatives from all corners of Victoria gathered to acknowledge and applaud the outstanding efforts that support grassroots and community tennis.
As guests arrived, friends reunited, stories were shared and laughter filled the room. When the formal proceedings began, the energy remained high. Former Davis Cup Captain, tennis legend and the evening’s MC, John Fitzgerald guided the audience through an inspiring evening of award presentations, heartfelt speeches, and powerful video features.
Congratulations to all the finalists and a special shout out to the winners of this year’s awards!
Tennis Victoria CEO, Kim Kachel attended his second Community Tennis Awards in the role and was inspired by the people and stories represented on the night.
“Across Victoria, it’s the passion of the people that keeps tennis thriving. From volunteers and coaches to clubs, officials, schools and inclusion programs, our finalists show what’s possible when communities come together through sport. We’re incredibly proud to recognise their impact and celebrate the role they play in shaping the future of tennis,” Kachel said.
In the club space, Sam Ebert from Wodonga Tennis Centre won the Volunteer of the year award and Ferntree Gully Tennis Club won the Most Outstanding Club or Centre award. The Most Outstanding School and Most Outstanding Tournament awards were won by St Albans Primary School and Wangaratta Lawn Tennis, Croquet and Pickleball Club respectively. The Coaching Excellence – Club or Centre award was taken home by Nicole Bauer from Bionic Tennis Coaching.
The night also honoured Excellence in Officiating with Di Larkin being announced as the winner. In addition to this, the new Serve the Game award was won by Anton Zambzhytski and the Most Outstanding Inclusion Initiative was won by Hadfield Tennis Club for their Introduction to Tennis – Women and Girls Program.
The night culminated with the presentation of the prestigious Spirit of Tennis Award, awarded to Russell Hart. As an industry, we were deeply saddened by Russell’s recent passing. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy and impact on tennis remain for all to see. Russell dedicated his life to tennis over more than five decades, contributing as a coach, mentor, administrator, and official. His influence has extended across all levels of the sport and has had a lasting and immeasurable impact on the health and development of tennis within the Mornington Peninsula and beyond.
The Victorian Community Tennis Awards are aligned with the Australian Tennis Awards. Where applicable, winners of Victorian Awards are now eligible for nomination in the 2026 Newcombe Medal (Australian Tennis Awards).
Full list of the 2026 Victorian Community Tennis Awards winners below.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2026 WINNERS:
Most Outstanding Club or Centre
Fentree Gully Tennis Club
Volunteer of the Year
Sam Ebert – Wodonga Tennis Centre
Coaching Excellence – Club or Centre
Nicole Bauer – Bionic Tennis Coaching
Most Outstanding School
St Albans Primary School
Most Outstanding Tournament
Wangaratta Lawn Annual Australia Day Tournament
Excellence in Officiating
Di Larkin
Most Outstanding Inclusion Initiative
Hadfield Tennis Club – Introduction to Tennis – Women and Girls Program
Serve the Game
Anton Zambzhytski
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