{"id":43059,"date":"2025-10-28T10:19:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T23:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/?p=43059"},"modified":"2025-10-28T10:19:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T23:19:26","slug":"victorias-best-honoured-at-the-2025-victorian-player-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/news\/2025\/10\/28\/victorias-best-honoured-at-the-2025-victorian-player-awards","title":{"rendered":"Victoria\u2019s Best Honoured at the 2025 Victorian Player Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

The 2025 Tennis Victoria Player Awards took place on Sunday 26 October at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club where members of the Victorian tennis community united to recognise the outstanding players of Victorian tennis from Tennis Victoria Pennant to the international stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tennis Victoria\u2019s CEO Kim Kachel<\/strong> was keen to celebrate the achievements of the award winners and finalists alongside the Victorian tennis community.<\/p>\n

“To all our finalists and winners, congratulations on an outstanding year. Your achievements inspire the next generation of players and coaches, and we\u2019re proud to celebrate your success through these awards. To our coaches, volunteers, officials, administrators, and everyone who dedicates their time and passion to the sport, thank you. Your commitment and contribution form the foundation upon which Victorian tennis continues to thrive. Looking ahead, we remain focused on growing the game, supporting our clubs and communities, and creating opportunities for every Victorian to experience the joy of tennis.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In the athlete categories,\u202fGlenn Busby\u00a0<\/strong>won the\u202f30+ Tennis Master Award<\/strong> and Jin Woodman <\/strong>took home\u00a0the Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability<\/strong>.\u202fThe\u202fJunior Athlete of the Year\u202fAwards<\/strong>\u202fwere won by\u202f Novak Palombo<\/strong> and Ava Beck<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0Coaching\u00a0 Excellence \u2013 Development<\/strong> award was awarded to Michael Logarzo<\/strong> from ML\u00a0Tennis.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

John Peers<\/strong> was crowned the 2025 Victorian Player of the Year. <\/strong>John has continued his outstanding form on the international doubles circuit, building on the incredible momentum of last year\u2019s major success at the Paris Olympics. E<\/span>arlier this year, Peers once again\u00a0<\/span>showcased<\/span>\u00a0his class on home soil at the Australian Open, claiming the Mixed Doubles title with fellow Australian Olivia\u00a0<\/span>Gadecki<\/span>. The pair enjoyed a remarkable campaign that culminated in an all-Aussie final, where they triumphed to secure the AO 2025 Mixed Doubles Trophy. This victory further cemented Peers\u2019 reputation as one of Victoria\u2019s, and Australia\u2019s, most accomplished doubles champions.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The night also honoured the standout performers of Tennis Victoria Pennant and State Grade. The\u00a0Pennant Players of the Year<\/strong> were announced, along with State Grade Team of the Year<\/strong> for both the Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n

The Tennis Victoria Player Awards are aligned with the Australian Tennis Awards. Where applicable, winners of Victorian Awards are now eligible for nomination in the\u00a02024 Newcombe Medal<\/strong>\u00a0(Australian Tennis Awards).<\/p>\n

We also took the opportunity to award the recipient of the Spirit of Tennis Award<\/strong>. This award recognises a person who has made a significant and valuable contribution to the advancement or popularity of the sport in any field, such as journalism, media, tournament management, general management at a national or state level, international management, supporting, coaching or playing. The Spirit of Tennis Award went to John McCurdy <\/strong>from Royal South Yarra Tennis Club.<\/strong><\/p>\n

John has dedicated decades to the sport always with a view to the growth and enrichment of Victorian tennis. Through his leadership, mentorship, and community involvement, he has embodied the true spirit of tennis. \u00a0John\u2019s impact on Victorian tennis is profound and extends across multiple facets from player, coach, manager and administrator. He has played a pivotal role in enhancing access to the sport, promoting inclusivity, and nurturing a generation of players, coaches, and volunteers. His commitment extends beyond the court, he has championed programs that make tennis a cornerstone of community life in Victoria.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to access images of the winners from the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Full list of the 2025 Victorian Player Awards winners:<\/h3>\n

Victorian Player of the Year\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

John Peers<\/p>\n

Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jinn Woodman<\/p>\n

Junior Athlete of the Year \u2013 Male\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

Novak Palombo<\/p>\n

Junior Athlete of the Year \u2013 Female\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ava Beck<\/p>\n

Coaching Excellence \u2013 Development\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Logarzo, ML Tennis<\/p>\n

Most Outstanding 30+ Tennis Master\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

Glenn Busby<\/p>\n

\u202fPENNANT PLAYER OF THE YEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Women\u2019s State Grade\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruby Ward <\/a>(Beaumaris Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Grade 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elizabeth Nad (Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Grade 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rachel Pan (Box Hill Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Grade 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Millie Batoni (Bulleen Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Grade 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tahlia Wheatley (Yarra Glen Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Grade 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eva Lamaris (Buckley Park Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s State Grade\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chanchai Sookton-Eng (Fawkner Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sam Dinneen (Eildon Park Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ryan Lucas (Eildon Park Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Evan Atkinson (Frankston Centenary Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

Will Ellis (Vermont South Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mitchell Robinson (Essendon Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 6\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Max Dorey (Beaumaris Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 7\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lucas Louey (North Balwyn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 8\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam Petersen (Gracedale Park Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 9\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jack Nancarrow (East Coburg Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dennis Smith (Eltham Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 11<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ricky Li (North Balwyn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Grade 12<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ricky Turco (Lakeview Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Masters Grade 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benn Heyme (Donvale Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Masters Grade 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Brearley (Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Masters Grade 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brian Harris (East Camberwell Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s State Grade Team of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruby Ward (Beaumaris Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Villegas (Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Eunsae Shin (Beaumaris Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Mahi Khore (Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Shiying Li (Grace Park Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Belle Thompson (Heatherdale Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s State Grade Team of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chanchai Sookton-Eng (Fawkner Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Lucas Vuradin (Fawkner Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Thomas Patton (Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

David Hough (Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Evan Vasiliadis (North Ringwood Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

Luca Connaughton (Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2025 Tennis Victoria Player Awards recognised the outstanding players of Victorian tennis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6423,"featured_media":43060,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,1,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-news","category-reward-recognition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6423"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43059\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/vic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}