Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley insists the country’s women’s playing stocks are in “really good” shape despite the fewest numbers in an Australian Open main draw in nine years.
Six Australian women – compared to 11 male compatriots, including two qualifiers – will contest the Open next week, with Ajla Tomljanovic the only one to earn direct acceptance off her ranking.
Ajla Tomljanovic is the only Australian woman to gain direct entry into this year’s Australian Open.Credit:AP
It is the same meagre number the host nation began the 2014 Australian Open women’s draw with, when Sam Stosur was the only non-wildcard.
Tiley intended to give one of the five wildcards typically granted to Australians to 42-year-old American legend Venus Williams, now ranked 658, but her injury withdrawal enabled Queenslander Kim Birrell to receive a late call-up.
“If you’re asking an ex-coach; I’m never comfortable unless there is absolute performance at the highest level and as many as you can get,” Tiley said.
“That’s what drives us every single day – to get more young kids to play … we have more people playing tennis than we’ve ever had before. We had the biggest growth in the last two years of any sport, of people participating, and that’s going to lead to a great future, but it’s a journey.”
Ash Barty after her win last year.Credit:Eddie Jim
This year’s low tally comes with an asterisk, given defending champion Ash Barty’s retirement and Daria Saville (née Gavrilova) recovering from an ACL rupture.
Sam Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion, also ended her singles career at last year’s Australian Open, but was no longer a top-100 player at the time.
TA’s director of professional tennis, Paul Kilderry, told The Age they were still optimistic about the 22-to-25 age group – Jaimee Fourlis, Kim Birrell, Priscilla Hon, Maddison Inglis, Destanee Aiava and co. – even though younger pair Olivia Gadecki and Talia Gibson scored two of the Open wildcards.
Kilderry said Barty’s Australian Open title, Tomljanovic’s Wimbledon and US Open quarter-finals, Saville slashing her ranking from outside 600 to the top 50 and the country’s run to the Billie Jean King Cup final made for a strong year in 2022.
“There are some big names missing from the direct entry list, and we really believe in the young group coming through,” he said.
“They’re working hard, and they’re not in the top 100 right now, but everyone’s got their journey and we certainly [still] believe in that next group.
“Everyone wants as many main-draw players as we can – I’m not going to shy away from that at all – but it’s a tough journey. They’re all up for the challenge, and we’re excited to see a few of those players push forward and break through to the top 100.”
Much of Tiley’s and Kilderry’s excitement is based on Gadecki, Gibson, top-10 junior Taylah Preston – who is currently out with a back injury after winning a round of Open qualifying last year – and young gun Emerson Jones.
Jones is the top-ranked 14-year-old in the world and already sits No.35 in the ITF junior girls’ rankings.
“Emerson is doing great, and we have three young females in the top-50 junior rankings [Gibson, Jones and Lily Taylor], so there are plenty of green shoots,” Kilderry said.
“We’re really excited for them, but there’s a long road ahead with no guarantees.”
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