Alex de Minaur, Matt Ebden, Rinky Hijikata, Storm Hunter, Alexei Popyrin and Matt Purcell will all vie for the 2023 Newcombe Medal on the thirteenth version of the Australian Tennis Awards.

Melbourne, VIC, 1 December 2023 | Tennis Australia

A standout subject of six nominees for the Newcombe Medal has been introduced in the present day, with Alex de Minaur (NSW), Matt Ebden (WA), Rinky Hijikata (NSW), Storm Hunter (WA), Alexei Popyrin (NSW) and Matt Purcell (NSW) all vying for the honour on the thirteenth version of the Australian Tennis Awards.

The Newcombe Medal is probably the most prestigious particular person award in Australian tennis. It’s named in honour of 26-time Grand Slam champion, the nice John Newcombe, who will current the Newcombe Medal to Australia’s most excellent participant for 2023 at a gala occasion on the Palladium Crown in Melbourne on Monday 11 December.

The Australian Tennis Awards can even be introduced to have fun the achievements and contributions of tennis golf equipment, volunteers, officers, coaches, faculties, and gifted junior gamers throughout 13 extra award classes.

“The Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards is a superb alternative to have fun the achievements of our devoted Australian tennis neighborhood,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley stated.

“2023 has been a exceptional yr for Australian tennis with many profession finest rankings, Grand Slam titles, a brand new world no 1 and back-to-back Davis Cup finals appearances.

“Whereas we have now an excellent cohort {of professional} gamers excelling on and off the court docket and offering great inspiration to the subsequent technology of Australian gamers, this particular occasion can be an exquisite alternative to acknowledge our grassroots tennis neighborhood and everybody concerned within the supply of our nice sport.

“Tennis golf equipment, volunteers, officers, coaches, faculties and junior rising stars of the sport stay on the very coronary heart and soul of tennis in Australia and the Newcombe Medal offers recognition for the invaluable contribution they supply to the well being of the sport throughout Australia.

“To be a part of the Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards is a superb honour and achievement and I want all nominees and finalists the perfect of luck on the night time.”

The 2023 Newcombe Medal nominees

Alex de Minaur
Reaching a career-high singles rating of world No.11 in 2023, the No.1-ranked Australian is in profession finest kind and knocking on the door of the highest 10. De Minaur received his seventh ATP title general and first at 500 stage on the Mexican Open in March and achieved his 2 hundredth profession win final month. The patriotic De Minaur produced a few of his finest tennis sporting the inexperienced and gold, taking part in a starring position in Australia’s second consecutive Davis Cup finals look. This included a stirring comeback victory from the brink of elimination within the quarterfinal showdown towards Czech Republic. That is the fourth Newcombe Medal nomination for De Minaur, who final received the distinguished award alongside Ash Barty in 2018.

Alexei Popyrin
Popyrin has scored three top-10 wins in a career-best season, along with his rating rising from outdoors the highest 100 in March to a excessive of world No.39 final month. Popyrin received his second ATP singles title on clay at Umag in July and made his top-50 debut in August after reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal at Cincinnati. The 24-year-old featured in Australia’s Davis Cup workforce final month, his first look within the competitors since 2021, posting his career-first win in a dwell Davis Cup rubber by overcoming Finland’s Otto Virtanen within the opening singles match of the semifinals.

Matt Ebden
That is Ebden’s third Newcombe Medal nomination, recognising one in every of his finest years on the ATP Tour. The 36-year-old soared to a career-high doubles rating of world No.4 throughout 2023 after changing into the primary Australian since 2017 to achieve the semifinals on the ATP Finals. In probably the most profitable yr of Ebden’s doubles profession he reached seven doubles finals, together with the US Open and at Indian Wells, the place he received his first Masters 1000 title. He additionally reached the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Rinky Hijikata
In solely his second season on tour, 22-year-old Hijikata has shot up the rankings in each singles and doubles. He began 2023 with a wildcard into the Australian Open, the place he recorded his first Grand Slam win, defeating Yannick Hanfmann in a come-from-behind victory. Hijikata had much more success pairing with Jason Kubler to overcome the sphere and take out their first Grand Slam males’s doubles title, changing into the second consecutive all-Australian champions at their residence occasion. Hijikata made probably the most of a US Open wildcard, reaching the fourth spherical which resulted in his top-100 debut. After successful the Japan Open Tennis Championships doubles title with fellow nominee Max Purcell, Hijikata broke into the highest 25 in doubles. A earlier two-time Male Junior Athlete of the Yr, that is Hijikata’s first Newcombe Medal nomination.

Storm Hunter
Australia’s latest world No.1 doubles star, 29-year-old Storm Hunter completed the yr within the high spot after reaching the semifinals on the WTA Finals in Cancun in November. Pairing with Belgium’s Elise Mertens, the duo received two WTA 1000 titles at Rome and Guadalajara and have been doubles finalists at Wimbledon. Hunter rose above American duo Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff to hit No.1 within the WTA world doubles rankings and has been rewarded for a constant season which noticed her win 42 of her 56 matches. Hunter is simply the third Australian lady – and first since 2007 – to carry the world No.1 rating in doubles.

Max Purcell
Purcell, 25, made his top-100 singles debut in March after successful three consecutive ATP Challenger titles in India and broke into the highest 50 in August after reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal in Cincinnati. Success continued on the doubles court docket, teaming with fellow nominee Rinky Hijikata to take out his fourth profession doubles title on the Japan Open in October, his largest win since his 2022 Wimbledon triumph with Matt Ebden. That is Purcell’s second Newcombe Medal nomination.

The 2023 Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards finalists

Teaching Excellence – Membership
Tina Keown (Vic)
Tim Low (QLD)
Helen Rice (SA)

Most Excellent College
St Joseph’s Faculty (NSW)
Sunshine Coast Grammar College (Qld)
Torrens Valley Christian College (SA)

Junior Athlete of the Yr – Male
Charlie Camus (ACT)
Hayden Jones (Qld)
Pavle Marinkov (NSW)

Junior Athlete of the Yr – Feminine
Roisin Gilheany (Vic)
Emerson Jones (Qld)
Taylah Preston (WA)

Teaching Excellence – Improvement
Clint Fyfe (QLD)
Domenic Marafiote (SA)
Antonie Vermaak (Vic)

Excellence in Officiating
Gary Bigg (Qld)
Casey Jackson (SA)
Glenn Toland (NSW)

Volunteer Achievement Award
Hayden Eastwood (Vic)
Rod Lang (NSW)
Brendon Oliver-Ewen (Tas)

Most Excellent Athlete with a Incapacity
Heath Davidson (Vic)
Archie Graham (Qld)
Michael Leigh (NSW)

Most Excellent Match
2023 Queensland Head State Age (Qld)
Seacliff Tennis Membership – February JDS (SA)
WorldPride Open Introduced by Tennis Sydney (NSW)

Most Excellent Tennis Membership
Golden Grove Tennis Membership (SA)
Melba Tennis Membership (ACT)
Parkes Tennis Membership (NSW)

Most Excellent 35+ Tennis Senior
Ros Balodis (ACT)
Brendon Lee Moore (NSW)
Martin Richards (SA)

Teaching Excellence – Efficiency
Darren Cahill (SA)
Mark Draper (Qld)
Jay Gooding (USA)

Spirit of Tennis Award – To be introduced on the Newcombe Medal Awards