International Wheelchair Tennis Kicks Off With An Ace

The world’s top ranked champion wheelchair tennis stars are set to take to the courts at Hume Tennis and Community Centre in Craigieburn for this year’s prestigious Melbourne Wheelchair Tennis Open, running from 22-26 January.

Member for Yuroke Ros Spence today officially opened the tournament supported by the Andrews Labor Government’s Significant Sporting Events Program at the official opening ceremony at the popular local venue.

The Open is the only International Tennis Federation (ITF) Grade 1 level wheelchair tennis tournament hosted in Australia and is an important lead in event for participants in the 2020 Australian Open.

Part of the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Summer Series, the Melbourne Open is set to deliver a record 77 players featuring all top ten ranked male players in the world and 8 of the top 10 ranked women.

The Open will also feature an Asia Pacific Junior Camp and Tournament supporting 20 junior players from across Australia and throughout Asia, the biggest draw ever for a Junior wheelchair ITF event in Australia.

The Labor Government support for this event comes from the $17.7 million Significant Sporting Events Program.

More than 650 events have been funded through the Significant Sporting Events Program and more than half of those events were held in regional Victoria, boosting local jobs and economies.

These events bring competitors, officials and supporters to our communities, stimulate the local economy, and inspire more people to stay active and healthy through sport.

The funding is part of the Government’s strong commitment to sports and active recreation, and to encourage all Victorians to get out there and get active.

Quotes attributable to Member for Member for Yuroke Ros Spence

“We’re so proud to bring the best tennis stars to Craigieburn, giving us the opportunity to showcase our wonderful facilities and sporting capabilities to the world.”

“Summer means tennis in our sports capital, and we’re proud to get the ball rolling with this fantastic event in the lead up to the biggest grand slam on the global sports calendar – the Australian Open.”