After three decades at Tennis Australia, Andrea Buckeridge's career stands as a testament to resilience, transformation and unwavering commitment to gender equity in sport.
What began as a leap into the unknown has evolved into a legacy that continues to shape the future of tennis in Australia.
"It's a little surreal," Buckeridge says, reflecting on her 30-year milestone. "Thirty years sounds like a long time, and it is, but it doesn't feel that long!"
From her first day, trading tracksuits for a suit after leaving her teaching role at Firbank Grammar School to navigating an office job, Andrea's entry into Tennis Australia was anything but conventional.
"When I arrived - almost everyone was at Wimbledon. I remember sitting at my new desk in my own office thinking 'what have I done? - I was completely on my own in a newly-created role and not quite sure where to start.'
"I began when our offices were under Margaret Court Arena. Then we moved to an office under the old function centre, which we used to call "the casino" because there were no windows and clocks. That's gone now too."
Buckeridge's initial role was focused on gender equity and was partly funded by the Australian Sports Commission.
"Tennis was one of eight 'lighthouse sports' receiving federal funding to improve gender equity and a few people encouraged me to apply for the role," she explained.
"I thought there was no way I'd get the job, especially with other strong tennis candidates. When the Player Development General Manager called to offer me the job, I was really surprised, overwhelmed, and had to make the big decision to leave teaching a job I loved."
Over the years, Buckeridge's influence has spanned coach development, education and professional learning, participation, performance and tournaments.
She has contributed to a variety of roles, both full-time and part-time after taking parental leave.
Her initial role was broad and included being tournament director at ITF Women's Circuit events across the country, managing the Fed Cup Team, managing the Sport Science program and supporting women and girls coordinators across the Member Associations.
"At the start, we had volunteer coordinators in each Member Association and a modest $10,000 budget," she said.
"The Women & Girls space has come a long way since then. In particular over the past six years thanks to a federal government grant, we have been able to really accelerate the opportunities to grow the participation of women and girls on and off the court - and the momentum is building."
Among her proudest achievements alongside her current work in Women in Girls is re-launching the Australian Women's Hardcourt Championships event that evolved into the Brisbane International.
"We started at Hope Island in a very small clubhouse," she recounted, "and in its third year we moved to Royal Pines and became a really professional event."
Buckeridge also helped professionalise the Australian Pro Tour, introducing primary healthcare providers at events and range of policies.
Her work in coach education and integrating tennis into the VET sector laid the groundwork for lasting change.
""In 2006, coach education transitioned from the TCA to Tennis Australia and we began delivering all coaching qualifications and took on coach membership. We had a small team, and it was a huge task - writing the content for each qualification and training the delivery team," she recalls.
"It was a major milestone when Tennis Australia became the first nation to receive ITF Gold Level recognition.
"We essentially built the coaching pathway from the ground up, with a national team driving coach development. Launching Bounce was a key part of that journey.
"Getting it all off the ground marked a real turning point for coach development in Australia."
Buckeridge has witnessed seismic shifts in the organisation.
"When I started, there were maybe 15 staff in the tennis department with the AO team operating in a separate office down the hall. Now there are over 800 people working at TA," she said.
"The AO has transformed enormously - the number of fans coming in the gates, the venue, the revenue, the media, the global reach, it's the biggest change.
"What hasn't changed over the years is the quality of the people working in tennis. The energy, the vision and the way people come together with purpose - it's what makes the sport so special. Through all the changes, it's the incredible people who've kept tennis thriving."
As for her legacy?
"I hope it's that gender equity is embedded so deeply we don't have to keep pushing for it," she said. "I hope we solve the wicked problem of keeping girls in sport - it's where I started when I was teaching and coaching girls.
"It's about having strong female role models in our women coaches, officials and leaders in clubs, and girls having a great playing experience in tennis and then staying in the sport."
Her advice to newcomers is simple yet profound: "Find something you really love doing. Be curious. Work hard. Build and nurture relationships. Be kind."
Looking ahead, Buckeridge's passion remains unchanged.
"Not another 30 years!" she laughs.
"My next focus is creating more opportunities for women and girls from multicultural backgrounds to get involved in tennis.
"I want to keep the momentum going especially in women's coaching, leadership and playing pathways. It's about opening doors, challenging gender stereotypes and making sure tennis truly reflects the diversity of our communities."