TA Press Release, December 1, 2018

The annual December Showdown will kick off the summer and tennis season with hundreds of players of all ages set to converge on Melbourne Park over the next three weeks.

December Showdownis Australia’s biggest junior tennis event series and runs from Saturday 1 to Sunday 16 December at the home of the Australian Open.

The annual carnival will feature:

·        More than 400 of Australia’s top young athletes

·        Players representing every Australian state and territory, as well as Asia-Pacific countries including China, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Pacific Oceania, India and Indonesia

·        National titles in the 12/u, 14/u, 16/u and 18/u age championships

·        Opportunities to earn a coveted wildcard into the Australian Open Junior Championships

·        More than 1400 matches played in the first two weeks of December

December Showdown culminates with the Australian Open 2019 Play-off, with 16 Australian men and women competing to win a prized Australian Open main draw wildcard. The AO Play-off runs from Monday 10 to Sunday 16 December.

“December Showdown is a fantastic start to the tennis season,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said. 

“Staging national championships in all age groups provides our junior athletes great competition opportunities and the chance to compete with the nation’s best.

“It’s a wonderful atmosphere having 400 players from all corners of the country here in Melbourne, all competing hard.

“The AO Play-off is an event I look forward to every year, and there are some great examples of how it can kick start opportunities for our next generation of players. Last year Alex de Minaur won now he’s our top ranked male player and Destanee Aiava went on to represent Australia in Fed Cup earlier this year. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this year. . It’s an event we are really proud to host,” Tiley said.

The Australian Open 2019 Play-off will be livestreamed via tennis.com.au from 10 to 16 December and Nine’s 9 Now will stream the semifinals and finals.

For all December Showdown news, draws and order of play please visit here.

Live scores will be available here or download the Tennis Ticker app.

Entry to December Showdown is free for spectators.

December Showdown calendar and acceptance lists