De Minaur champions future of Aussie tennis ahead of Junior Tour Finals | 4 November, 2024 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

As Australia’s top 12/u and 14/u talents compete at the Australian Junior Tour Finals in Sydney, Alex de Minaur spearheads a new look for the future of the tour.

Sydney, Australia, 4 November 2024 | Camille Russo

Australia’s top junior tennis talents are set to compete at the 2024 12/u and 14/u Australian Junior Tour Finals, held for the first time at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre from Monday, 4 November to Sunday, 10 November.

More than 170 top-ranked juniors have earned their place at the prestigious event, determined by their performance in the Australian Junior Tour events across the season.

The Australian Junior Tour features 224 events annually and encompasses more than 33,000 young athletes, providing a competitive pathway for Australia’s emerging tennis players.

>VIEW: 12/u and 14/u Australian Junior Tour Finals entry lists 

In exciting news, the Australian Junior Tour will be rebranded the De Minaur Junior Tour, reflecting a new level of commitment to the next generation of Australian talent, spearheaded by Australian No.1 tennis player Alex de Minaur.

As part of De Minaur’s commitment to nurturing Australia’s future tennis stars, he is working with Tennis Australia to establish a scholarship program designed to support high-achieving juniors, ensuring they have the resources and mentorship needed to excel.

“The vision for this whole scholarship is to try and give a pathway to junior athletes and try to help them transition and improve their careers,” said De Minaur.

“For me it was very important as a young kid to come out to Europe and see the competition abroad. It taught me a lot of lessons of all the things I had to work on – the routines, the work ethic, the professionalism – that ended up helping me through my whole career and shaping who I am today.

“Mentorship is super important, and I’ve been fortunate to have learnt so much from my mentors over the years. I want to pass on the knowledge I’ve gathered throughout my journey and help young Aussie athletes to improve and become the best version they can be.”

The two winners of each age group (one boy and one girl from the 12/u and 14/u age group) will automatically win the De Minaur Junior Tour scholarship.

One other athlete will be given a scholarship to the program, named the Alex De Minaur Spirit of Tennis Scholarship, awarded to the player who displays key values and behaviours throughout the tournament.

“We are thrilled to be working with Alex on this incredible initiative,” said Tim Jolley, Tennis Australia’s Chief Strategy and Performance Officer.

“The De Minaur Junior Tour rebrand along with the new scholarship program will further enhance the development pathways available to our young athletes, helping them achieve their full potential and be competitive on the world stage.

“Alex’s passion for Australian tennis and the next generation is reiterated through his commitment to supporting these young players. They will not only have a chance to compete for national titles at this event, but to also play for an opportunity to learn from Alex himself, gaining invaluable insights from one of our leading tennis professionals.”

Every match of the Australian Junior Tour Finals played on Court 2 at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre this week will be live-streamed thanks to Kommunity TV.

>WATCH: 12/u and 14/u Australian Junior Tour Finals Live Stream

The 16/u and 18/u Australian Championships and Progress Series Masters will be held at the Bendigo Tennis Association in Victoria from 7-15 December.