Tennis Australia Press Release, December 8, 2023
Australian tennis stars, world No.12 Alex de Minaur and former world No.32 Ajla Tomljanovic are the new ambassadors of Tennis Australia’s Hot Shots Tennis program, which has undergone a major refresh over the past 18 months.
As the two prepare for Australia’s biggest Summer of Tennis, they are also looking forward to encouraging more young players to learn to play the sport.
The program now has a greater focus on engagement, fun, development and values for children aged from three to 10+.
“I was three years old when I started playing in the southern Sydney suburb of Carss Park,” De Minaur recalled.
“I absolutely loved it. I used to always carry my racquet around and my coach actually had to encourage me to leave after my lessons. I would have stayed on court all day if I could!”
These fond experiences sparked a lifelong love for tennis for the Australian No.1 male, making him extra appreciative of ensuring a player’s development years are as enjoyable as possible.
“That’s why I love what the Hot Shots Tennis program is doing with its greater focus on engaging participants,” De Minaur said.
“Learning to play tennis is not only about technique, but also about having fun on court, development and building the right values at all stages of the game.”
Tomljanovic, who in 2022 became the first Australian woman in 43 years to advance to the Wimbledon and US Open quarterfinals in the same year, wholeheartedly agrees.
“Not only has tennis opened up so many opportunities for me,” Tomljanovic explained. “But the life lessons I’ve gained and the friendships I’ve formed through the sport are a big part of who I am today.
“I feel privileged that I can inspire young fans to jump on court and I hope they also fall in love with the game as much as I have.
“I’m feeling more motivated than ever, so I can’t wait to be back on court this Australian summer and hopefully encourage more Aussie kids to sign up to Hot Shots Tennis too.”
De Minaur and Tomljanovic begin their summer at the United Cup in Perth, where they’ll spearhead the Australian team. Tomljanovic will also play the Adelaide International before travelling to Melbourne for the 112th staging of the Australian Open.
Background on the new-look Hot Shots Tennis program
- Hot Shots Tennis is a fun way for kids aged 3 to 10+ to play and learn tennis
- The program has gone through an extensive refresh, with the aim of boosting motivation and engagement for kids of all ages
- As part of the refresh, the brand of Hot Shots Tennis has an entire new look and feel, aiming to broaden its appeal to kids of all ages, especially at the upper end of the program
- The new look Hot Shots Tennis program offers greater flexibility and choice for the delivery network with a specific focus on engagement and fun at every stage. In addition, the program will now place a bigger emphasis on values and life skills to create good people and good players
- The program is comprised of four progressive stages – blue, red, orange and green – to help develop children’s skills and confidence
- Each stage provides the right equipment, including appropriately sized courts, racquets and low-compression tennis balls, which supports kids to play tennis at their ability and interest
- It creates the right environment for kids to play and socially connect with other children, setting them up with life skills to use in other aspects of their daily lives
- The program is delivered by Tennis Australia qualified tennis coaches and trained volunteers in regional areas
- The Hot Shots Tennis program was launched in 2008 and has fast become one of a popular sports participation programs in Australia
- To find your closest Hot Shots Tennis program visit https://hotshots.tennis.com.au/.
Tennis participation
- The latest AusPlay data revealed more than 1.4 million Australians participated in tennis from July 2022 – June 2023
- Participation among children grew by 7 per cent year-on-year
- More than 600,000 kids participated in Hot Shots Tennis, including 153,054 kids enrolled in coaching
- The Sporting Schools program for Term 1 2023 ranked tennis No.1 overall, with 464 programs booked, a 15% increase in demand compared to Term 1 2022
- Primary school participation peaked as 467,434 students experienced Hot Shots Tennis in 3100+ schools as part of the curriculum.
