TA Press Release, April 19, 2017

Australian tennis stars Daria Gavrilova and Thanasi Kokkinakis have been named as ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Match Play ambassadors, and will become the face of a new campaign to get more kids playing tennis.

ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Match Play is a junior team competition program designed to give children aged seven to 11 years of age already playing tennis the opportunity to transition from learning the game to playing matches in a fun team environment.

Shorter matches, ranging from 60-75 minutes, and a flexible ‘first to four games’ format means children can play more matches, in both singles and doubles.

Daria Gavrilova, better known as Dasha, is enthusiastic about promoting the sport she loves and getting more kids playing tennis.

“I started to really enjoy my tennis at a young age because I played with my friends,” said Gavrilova, who first picked up a racquet at the age of six.

“ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Match Play gives kids the chance to play in a team in a fun and social environment. It’s the perfect way for kids to build on their skills and develop their passion for the game.”

Kokkinakis picked up a tennis racquet at an early age too and loved the way it felt to hit a tennis ball.

“I just picked up a racquet and starting hitting. I just loved the feeling of hitting a ball,” Kokkinakis said.

“Hitting with others in a team environment like ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Match Play is a fantastic option for kids to meet kids of a similar age and similar tennis ability. I love tennis because its fun and I enjoy it and this is what it should all be about no matter what age you are.”

“ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Match Play gives children around Australia the opportunity to transition their basic tennis skills into a team based competition,” Tennis Australia Director of Participation Paul Cammack said.

“More than 200,000 children nationwide play ANZ Tennis Hot Shots and to have inspirational young professional players like Daria Gavrilova and Thanasi Kokkinakis on board will help us broaden the reach of this program and encourage more kids to take the next step in tennis.”

Gavrilova and Kokkinakis will be the face of a new campaign to promote the new ANZ Tennis Hot Shots team based competition to tennis clubs and communities across Australia.

Currently there are more than 15,000 children participating in ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Match Play across the country.

ANZ Tennis Hot Shots is Tennis Australia’s official development program specifically designed to introduce primary school children between five and 12 years of age to tennis. Modified equipment, such as smaller courts and racquets, and low compression tennis balls, makes it easy for children to learn and play a sport they can play for a lifetime.

ANZ Tennis Hot Shots is one of Australia’s most popular sports participation programs, with an almost equal gender split and a record 213,883 participants nationwide in 2016/2017.