THE return of the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club’s pro tour event will be huge for the sporting body and the community, according to president Aaron Wilkie.
The Mildura International, last held in 2020 prior to COVID lockdowns, is back from Sunday, March 10 to Sunday, March 17.
Following two seasons of restrictions and severe flooding of the facility in 2023, the international event’s return will provide a boost for the club.
Mildura hosted the successful junior Australian Grasscourt Championships in early January, and Wilkie said the club has been ticking every possible box in the two months between events.
“It’s all going pretty well … the courts are looking in awesome nick,” he said.”
They took a bit of a battering after the Grasscourt Championships, so we’ve been trying to stay off the front row for the past couple of months as much as possible.
“But it’s all coming together nicely and we’re excited to have it back after four years.
“Obviously COVID and then last year’s flooding got in the way of us holding it but it’s been great that Tennis Australia has continued to support us getting it back.”
The pro tour event has played host to numerous rising stars of the national and international tennis circuit over the years, including Ash Barty, Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson.
The male and female brackets for 2024 are still to be determined.
With the week-long extravaganza running all day at the riverfront venue, Wilkie said there were multiple benefits to hosting the event.
“It gives our juniors a great opportunity to get down and watch international players in action and to learn a lot about the standards they set,” he said.
“We also get to do a bit of fundraising, which is important for us to make sure we kept afloat, we struggled a bit with that during the last few years so it will be nice for us.
“It’s a pretty big volunteer group from the club that helps out with whatever is required so we can’t thank them enough for that.”
Tennis Australia’s Andy Reynolds, who was tournament director for the Australian Grasscourt Championships, said earlier this year that Mildura is a destination venue for tennis players.
“Players have said for many years that Mildura is the number one venue for grass courts in Australia and it’s great to have the pro tour returning again,” he said.
“Unfortunately the club has missed out on its signature event for a few years now with circumstances outside of their control.
“Tennis Australia has really tried to support the Mildura club as much as possible because we see it as a destination venue for players of all ages from pro tour events to juniors.”
Qualifying is on Sunday March 10, before the main singles draws begin the following day.
