TENNIS
By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
ON the up and up for Traralgon Tennis Association.
The local tennis club recently announced the formation of a new advisory group, as the TTA push to become major players on the international tennis stage in the years ahead.
Former Tennis Australia President, Geoff Pollard AM and global business leader Gareth Marriott were appointed as the group’s founding co-chairs, and have been working with the TTA board, providing strategic advice, global networking, and assisting in winning further tennis events for the region.
“Our aim over the next two to three months will also have more additional members (on) the advisory panel to add some real value back into the Latrobe Valley, and hopefully if everything goes well, we’ll be a top six club in Australia,” Marriott told the Express.
Marriott holds deep roots to the Latrobe Valley, beginning his love for tennis in Churchill and eventually Traralgon. He became president of the TTA and Gippsland Tennis Association, helping cultivate the landmark Traralgon Junior International tournament back in 1993.
“We had a dream to go and win an international tennis event, and we scored an ITF tournament, which is still at the club 32 years later,” he added.
To ensure that the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland continues to rise in this space, the TTA is aiming to attract an additional five to 12 weeks of high-calibre tennis each year, to add to the Traralgon International and Gallipoli Youth Cup already on the calendar.
Marriott said the key objectives is for the Traralgon to be the number one venue of choice for international tennis events, including for tennis events for regional Australia.
“We want to be known as the best tennis club and association in Australia, and we’re aiming to be coming in around number six, number seven (at the moment),” he said.
“We really want to focus on driving economic growth in the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland region.”
In 2024, tennis in the Traralgon area injected $6.6 million directly into the community from international and national events.
The 2024 Traralgon International brought in $2.6 million into the local economy, and other recent events an additional $4 million in total.
Over the course of the Traralgon International’s running, the TTA has contributed $156 million to the Latrobe Valley through hosting such major events.
The economic impact into the Latrobe Valley reaches far and wide, potentially even greater, but Marriott said that infrastructure also needs to be front of mind if Traralgon is to attract more and bigger events.
“I think if you look at just where we are from a facilities point of view, we do have a shortfall in our facilities,” he said.
“We’re working with the Latrobe City Council, including Tennis Australia (and) Tennis Victoria, to bridge that gap.”
Besides the aforementioned events, the TTA has also secured the Green Ball Tournament, Latrobe City Tournament, Frank Sedgeman Cup, GBS Optus Tournament and the Schools Future Fit Program brought by former Australian tennis star Pat Cash alongside the Gallipoli Youth Cup.
Additionally, the Rafa Nadal Tour will arrive in Traralgon this September, with winners of the tournament progressing to the Rafa Nadal Tour Australian Masters event, held in Melbourne next year.
The aim is to one day see Traralgon host a Davis Cup or Fed Cup (now called the Billie Jean King Cup), to go along with Premier League rounds and other Pro Tour and Challenger events.
Perhaps the next Roger Federer or Jelena Dokic can rise through Traralgon also?
