Forty-one of Australia's most promising junior tennis players-23 girls and 18 boys-are currently on tour across Europe, taking part in a transformational experience that blends international competition with personal development.
Spanning more than eight weeks, the varying tours include tournaments in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, UK and Belgium.
These tours go well beyond the tennis court-they are a key part of Tennis Australia's Player Pathway, offering standout athletes the chance to not only test themselves against the world's best, but to help them build the mindset and attitude needed to thrive both in sport and in life.
"Our focus is not just on winning matches, but helping our young athletes grow as people," said Jessica Moore, Tennis Australia National Lead - Tours, Camps and Wellbeing.
"They're learning how to manage themselves while away from home, how to stay disciplined with schoolwork, training and how to contribute positively within a team.
"These are all lessons that will serve them both on and off the court for years to come."
When they are not on court, players are engaging in wellbeing activities that explore Tennis Australia's performance goals - Effort over Outcome, Humility and Respect, Self-Regulation and Perspective, Honesty and Ownership and Act with Courage.
Time is also allocated for athlete reviews and schoolwork, with staff on hand to support managing academic requirements.
"We constantly remind the kids that when touring, we spend more time off court than we do on it," Tennis Australia National Wellbeing Manager Ben Robertson said. "Yet how we utilise this time away from the court has a significant impact on the next on-court opportunity.
"Learning to manage this time - mentally, emotionally, physically - is a critical skill for the future.
"It is incredible to watch the players growth as they become increasingly independent; from managing their nutrition and hydration, to doing their laundry, minimising screen time, connecting with teammates and staff, or greeting others and trying to converse in the language of the country-it is the best part of the tours."
The tour is widespread across Europe with events including the J200 tournament in Castricum, Netherlands, Junior Roland Garros in Paris, and the J300 event in Roehampton, UK leading into the Wimbledon Junior Championships.
Other notable tournaments include:
- Amjoy Cup - Netherlands
- Cat 1 12U Furstenfeld - Austria
- Cat 1 14U Open Du Stade Francais - France
- Cat 1 12U Kufstein - Austria
- Koblenz Junior Open - Germany
- 14-and-under Wimbledon Championships - UK
- Kitz Rising Invitational event - Austria
- Super Category 14U Meisterscudften Dueren - Germany
The full list of Australian junior athletes on tour is as follows:
17-and-under
Jake Dembo (WA)
Jizelle Sibai (NSW)
Koharu Nishikawa (Vic)
Renee Alame (NSW)
14-and-under
Aidan Chan (WA)
Ayush Salunkhe (Vic)
Ceressa Jackson (Qld)
Christian Joseph (Qld)
Eleni Makantasis (Vic)
Elisha Wee (SA)
Hannah Park (SA)
Isabel Cairns (Vic)
Maddison Stares (NSW)
Musemma Cilek (Vic)
Novak Palombo (Vic)
Piyushi Bandara (ACT)
Ryan Bolger (Qld)
Sebastian Lavorato (NSW)
Tommy Camus (ACT)
13-and-under
Ana Maric (Vic)
Ayumi Ito (NSW)
Christopher Manton (Vic)
Eadie Biggs (Qld)
Joyce Sun (NSW)
Lara Wu (SA)
Samantha Sun (Qld)
Seungyeon Seo (Qld)
Thaadhie Karunanayake (Vic)
Zayd Joosab (Qld)
12-and-under
Amelia Hilton (WA)
Caleb Gwinnell-Sheather (NSW)
Darcy Basist (VIC)
Ethan Wang (NSW)
Grace Janjua (Vic)
Jobe Dikkenberg (Qld)
Jocelyn Jia (Vic)
Ken Dalla Pozza (NSW)
Lennox Kelly (Qld)
Sadie Gillard (SA)
Sofia Haddock (SA)
Thoma Bogatyrev (Qld)