This November, junior tennis players from Asia and Oceania will compete at the Dunlop Road to the AO Juniors, vying for two main draw wildcards at the Australian Open 2024 Junior Championships.
The Dunlop tournament will be held in Yokkaichi in Japan from 13-17 November. The tournament is open to players aged 17 and under and will consist of 16-player boys’ and girls’ fields comprising of 12 players from the wider Asia/Oceania region plus four Japanese players, including two players invited by Dunlop.
The event was created to offer international competitive opportunities for players in the Asia/Oceania region, with the goal of raising the level of junior tennis in this region.
It is also hoped the event will inspire young players to work towards competing at prestigious global events such as the AO Junior Championships.
Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley says, “Growing tennis in the Asia Pacific region has long been a priority for Tennis Australia. We are delighted to share this mission with Dunlop and to work together to create more opportunities for young players to compete in the region and on the global stage."
Dunlop Road to the AO Juniors Tournament Director Kohei Toda says, “It is with a strong desire to contribute to the development of junior players across the Asia Pacific region that we have once again decided to host this tournament. We would also like to invite the winner of this event to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in a world-class tennis event, The Australian Open”.
In addition to receiving a main draw wildcard, the two single’s winners – one girl and one boy – will also receive full travel support to Melbourne, Australia. The entry closing date is 29 October.
The Australian Open 2024 Junior Championships will be held at Melbourne Park from 20-27 January 2024. It is one of the four Grand Slam junior events, which are among the most prestigious tournaments on the ITF Junior World Tennis Tour.
Many Australian Open junior champions have gone on to achieve notable success in the professional game.
Andy Roddick, Victoria Azarenka, Marcos Baghdatis, Nick Kyrgios, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Karolina Pliskova are among those who have won or contested Grand Slam singles finals at senior level.