Australia, 22 December 2022 | Leigh Rogers
The past year proved a remarkable – and record-breaking – season in Australian tennis.
Seven Australian players claimed Grand Slam titles during 2022, the most to do so in 45 years. A further six appeared in major finals.
“We had so many Grand Slam finalists and winners this year,” noted Daria Saville, who improved her ranking more than 550 places in her return from injury and soared back into the world’s top 50.
“We definitely had such a great year. Hopefully that will inspire all the kids and they can see us Australian players as their role models.”
Thanasi Kokkinakis enjoyed a resurgent season as well, returning to the world’s top 100 in singles and achieving a career-high doubles ranking of world No.15. He won his first Grand Slam doubles title too, partnering Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open.
“I think tennis is in a really good spot in Australia,” said Kokkinakis, who was voted the Fans’ Favourite Team alongside Kyrgios in the 2022 ATP Awards.
“We’re getting stronger, back to where we were as a nation and I think the future is bright for us.”
Australian legend John Newcombe agrees. He was particularly pleased to see the Australian teams advance to the finals in both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competition for the first time since 1993.
“The guys and the girls are working really hard and there seems to be a good spirit about things. (It was) great to see us do well in the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup,” Newcombe said.
| Highlights from a remarkable year in Australian tennis | ||
| Singles | ||
| Ash Barty became the first Australian in 44 years to win an Australian Open women’s singles title | ||
| Australia had Grand Slam men’s and women’s singles finalists (Ash Barty, Nick Kyrgios) in the same season for the first time in 42 years | ||
| Dylan Alcott’s record-breaking career ended with a runner-up finish in the Australian Open quad wheelchair competition | ||
| At Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios became the first Australian man in 17 years to contest a Grand Slam singles final | ||
| Ajla Tomljanovic became the first Australian woman in 22 years to progress to back-to-back Wimbledon singles quarterfinals | ||
| Four Australian players (Ajla Tomljanovic, Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur and Jason Kubler) advanced to the… |
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