Melba Tennis Club president James Condon and club stalwart Narelle Sykes accept the trophy. Photo: Supplied.
Melba Tennis Club has been named Australia’s most outstanding tennis club in 2024 at an annual awards night for the sport in Melbourne.
The Tennis Australia event saw the Canberra club accept its trophy alongside some of the game’s greats, including Darren Cahill (coaching excellence) and Alex de Minaur and Matt Ebden (Newcombe medal winners for achievement on the professional circuit).
Holy Trinity Primary was the only other Canberra winner on the night, taking out the gong for most outstanding school.
Melba Tennis Club president James Condon said it was great to get some nationwide recognition after a string of successes at the Tennis ACT level.
“We’ve been named club of the year in Canberra seven times since 2012. We’ve also won four volunteer of the year awards and five coach of the year awards over that time,” he said.
“I’ve been serving as club president for the past 18 months. We’ve had a pretty successful period. I won’t claim credit for our wins; I’ve taken over from some great work and been lucky enough to be in the hot seat at the right time.
“We have 300 members at our club, so we’re a decent size, but there are a lot of other clubs in Canberra doing some great work. We also get a lot of support from Tennis ACT. We have a close relationship with them. That might be more difficult for clubs in larger states.”
One of the biggest challenges in the sport is attracting girls to play, with female participation declining in some parts of Australia. The Melba club has tackled that head-on.
“One of our coaches, Cherie Roe, piloted a program to get girls back into playing tennis. She’s got 11 girls playing in a weekly girls-only squad to promote some fun and enjoyment in the game. Some girls do struggle in a mixed-gender environment, and there are so many distractions for kids these days, but this squad is going really well,” Mr Condon said.
“We play in all the Canberra tennis leagues so we’ve managed to keep both the boys and girls’ junior program strong.”
Social tennis is popular at the Melba Tennis Club. Photo: Facebook.
The 34-year-old grew up in the famous Condon tennis family in Yenda, a small town in the Riverina, before moving to Canberra for university. His grandfather, Tom, has a court named after him at the Griffith Tennis Club.
“We had tennis courts on our farm. From the age of five, we were all playing tennis; it was in our family’s blood, and we were heavily involved in Griffith Tennis Club for many years. I was coached by Cheryl Rawle, Andrew Noad and Duncan Adams. We come back every year for the June long weekend MIA Open tournament,” he said.
Mr Condon says newcomers are always welcome at the Melba club. Details about social tennis and other events are available on their website.
Can’t wait for the summer of tennis? Don’t forget the Workday Canberra International, which will be held at the Canberra Tennis Centre in Lyneham from 29 December to 4 January 2025.
Tickets start at $20 and are now available from Canberra International. Check out the website for details, including when kids under 12 can watch world-class tennis for free.
Full list of 2024 Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Award winners:
Most Outstanding Club, presented by Howden
Melba Tennis Club (ACT)
Most Outstanding School
Holy Trinity Primary School (ACT)
Coaching Excellence – Club
Benjamin McLachlan (NT)
Junior Athlete of the Year – Male
Hayden Jones (QLD)
Junior Athlete of the Year – Female
Maya Joint (QLD)
Emerson Jones (QLD)
Coaching Excellence – Development
James Connelly (WA)
Excellence in Officiating
Matthew Kellert (NSW)
Volunteer Achievement Award
Damian McGee (SA)
Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability
Ross Patterson (TAS)
Most Outstanding Tournament
Margaret Court Cup – Albury Tennis Association (NSW)
Most Outstanding Club, presented by Howden
Melba Tennis Club (ACT)
Most Outstanding 30+ Tennis Master
Glenn Busby (VIC)
Coaching Excellence – Performance
Darren Cahill (SA)
Most Outstanding Inclusion Initiative
SA Blind and Low Vision Tennis Program (SA)
Spirit of Tennis Award
Pam Whytcross (NSW)
Newcombe Medal
Alex de Minaur (NSW)
Matt Ebden (WA).
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