Alex de Minaur putting the kids first in Tennis Australia Junior Tour finals pledge

Australia’s number one tennis player, Alex de Minaur, has turned his attention to the emerging junior ranks in an effort to bridge the gap to the professional level.

As part of a new partnership with Tennis Australia, de Minaur will establish a scholarship program designed to support high-achieving juniors, ensuring they have the resources and mentorship needed to excel.

The winners at this week’s Australian Junior Tour Masters finals will all be eligible for the de Minaur scholarship program.

Every match of from court two at the week-long tournament will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV.

As well as establishing the scholarship program, the Australian Junior Tour, which includes several national level events across the year, will be renamed the de Minaur Junior Tour from next year.

“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,” de Minaur said.

“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,” Tennis Australia’s chief strategy and performance officer, Tim Jolley, said.

“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.”