Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Sam Stosur was among the many stars to stroll the blue carpet on the 2024 Newcombe Medal awards on Monday evening.
Melbouirne, 9 December 2024 | Dan Imhoff
Stars of Aussie tennis walked the blue carpet at this 12 months’s 2024 Newcombe Medal awards at Melbourne’s Crown On line casino.
Amid posing for pictures and media interviews, they spoke with tennis.com.au. These are among the many highlights:
Sam Stosur, former Newcombe Medallist and Billie Jean King Cup captain
Who do you most sit up for catching up with or operating into on the awards evening: “I feel the individuals you don’t see that a lot, so that you come to one thing like this and also you at all times run into somebody you haven’t seen for a very long time, have a fantastic catch-up and I feel it’s in all probability the individuals you don’t see an excessive amount of. Having mentioned that, I really like seeing my pals and everybody else right here as nicely, however I feel it’s a kind of bump-in alternatives the place ‘Oh I haven’t seen you for a couple of months’. It’s pretty.”
Matt Ebden, Newcombe Medal nominee and Olympic gold medallist
You’ve had a rare 12 months and you’ve got your Olympic gold medal right here with you. What would you like to attain in 2025? “The Grand Slams are clearly big, the Masters, however we wish to win the Davis Cup for Australia. We haven’t fairly achieved that these previous couple of years. We’ve been so shut in order that’s the largest one.”
John Friends, Newcombe Medal nominee and Olympic gold medallist
Is there a participant or participant, previous or current, you most sit up for catching up with tonight? “To be honest it’s all the blokes I don’t get to see who don’t journey as a lot anymore. I noticed Lucz [Peter Luczak]. I hadn’t seen him for the reason that begin of the years a couple of of the previous gamers – Wayne Arthurs, Frommy [Richard Fromberg], Todd [Woodbridge] if he’s round. Numerous these guys we don’t get to see as a lot as we used to.”
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Ellen Perez, Aussie tennis star
What’s essentially the most aggravating a part of the night – the outfit, getting the socials en pointe or the anticipation round who wins the large award? “For me, this time I’m presenting an award so I’m fairly burdened about being up on stage. I don’t actually love public talking. I feel the simple half is getting really prepared, they do it for us so it’s fairly cruisy. It’s thrilling, the anticipation of who’s going to win the Newcombe Medal, it’s good.”
Maya Joint, Aussie tennis star
It’s your first Newcombe Medal awards evening. You bought to spend extra time with the Aussie ladies because the orange woman for the Billie Jean King Cup crew. How as that have? “It was unbelievable. Everybody was so good and together with, and it was a lot enjoyable to look at them compete and get them prepared for his or her matches.”
Emerson Jones, junior world No.1
It’s your first Newcombe Medal awards evening so what are you most trying ahead to about it? “I haven’t been earlier than to this, so it’s fairly thrilling. It’s my first time right here. All of the older ladies are right here and I get together with them very well, so yeah it’s going to be fairly good.”
Hayden Jones, junior world No.13
You’re up for the junior male athlete of the 12 months. What are you most trying ahead to in regards to the evening? “I feel it’s simply superior to be again across the legends of the sport for Australian tennis, meet some older gamers and simply have enjoyable, have a very good evening.”
Heath Davidson, Australian wheelchair tennis star
What does the Newcombe Medal evening imply for you, gathering round your compatriots and fellow gamers? “It’s superior. I really like being at residence. Tonight brings all of us collectively to have a good time the 12 months we’ve had. I really like seeing Peersy and Matty Ebden and all these boys. Additionally good all our feminine tennis gamers get an opportunity to get all glammed up, as an alternative of simply in sportswear, and simply benefit from the evening.”
John Fitzgerald, Aussie tennis legend
How particular is that this event for the game and to carry so lots of the names out of your period again collectively? “I really like seeing the blokes I performed Davis Cup with underneath Neale Fraser. At the moment, we consider him and discuss him rather a lot. Darren Cahill, Todd Woodbridge, Wally Masur, who’s not right here, and Pat Money, who’s not right here both. They’re the blokes I really like catching up with essentially the most as a result of we have been in Davis Cup groups collectively.”
Todd Woodbridge, Aussie tennis legend
You could have co-hosting duties tonight with Casey Dellacqua. How a lot workshopping on the gags will get completed between you each or is every to their very own? “I don’t do a whole lot of the gags, no matter occurs is natural however on an evening like tonight it’s actually necessary to maintain issues shifting. My job is to make all people get pleasure from it by getting on and getting off and protecting the present on time. We’ll make it work.”
Omar Jasika, Aussie tennis star
How particular is it attending the Newcombe Medal evening given the spectacular few months you’ve had? “It’s an unbelievable evening. It’s just like the Brownlow [Medal] for tennis, and there’s lots of people that come to this occasion. It’s good to see acquainted faces and it’s good to see everybody’s achievements all year long and meet up with individuals you haven’t seen all year long. That is in all probability my sixth or seventh 12 months now. I at all times come again, I like it a lot.”
Discover your approach to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on court docket and have some enjoyable!
