Iconic tennis trophies on tour

THE men’s and women’s Australian Open trophies sparkled in Ballarat last week, visiting Kryal Castle and the Ballarat Indoor Tennis Centre.

The Norman Brooks Challenge Cup and Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup are currently on a twenty-stop tour of community clubs and tourist destinations across the state with Tennis Victoria, before the grand slam’s next winners hold them proudly in January of 2022.

Tennis Victoria’s regional tennis manager Paul Senior said the tour, in partnership with Visit Victoria, is all about giving passionate followers and players of the sport, from the Murray River to Torquay, the opportunity to hold the cups, get a photo, and “feel like a grand slam champion.”

“They can enjoy their own moment, lifting the challenge and memorial trophies before they’re presented at the 2022 Australian Open,” Mr Senior said.

“We’re visiting community clubs and popular tourist destinations, such as the Grampians and the Goldfields, before they return back to Melbourne Park.

“Many prestigious players have lifted the trophies over time, and we hope to see Ash Barty lift the women’s singles cup this year.”

Kryal Castle’s general manager Bart Hamilton said it’s a positive initiative supporting a state that’s been “hurting” over the last two years, recovering from devastating bushfires and the pandemic.

“Regional Victoria needs all the help it can get. The opportunity to host the trophies from Australia’s premiere international sporting event was too good to miss out on,” he said.

“It’s great to get some more promotion out there for Kryal Castle and the Australian Open, and I got a personal photo with the trophies which is a highlight of my life.”

Seven-time grand slam doubles champion John Fitzgerald attended the Ballarat Indoor Tennis Centre event as a tour ambassador, where approximately 200 people gathered for a family evening and a look at the trophies.