Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios headline record Australian tennis squad for Tokyo Olympics

Lachlan McKirdy

Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios headline record Australian tennis squad for Tokyo Olympics image

The Australian Olympic Team has announced a record 11-strong tennis squad for the Tokyo Games including the likes of Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios.

In a sign of the strength of Australian tennis, the team is the largest that Australia has ever sent to the Olympics after ten were sent to both Sydney 2000 and Rio 2016. 

The headline act and arguably a strong gold medal chance is world number one Ash Barty. 

The tournament will be Barty's Olympic debut, one of eight tennis debutants in the team. 

Barty will become Australia's first Indigenous Olympian in tennis and she is looking forward to creating a legacy of her own. 

“I think making your first Olympic team, particularly as an Australian, we have such a rich history and the Olympics is something I've always dreamt of and obviously super excited to get out there and represent the green and gold with the rest of the team,” Barty said.

“It’s a massive united team and I can't wait to be a part of it.

“Competing in an Olympic Games is always a dream, as young kids you aspire to, and I think we have so many iconic legends in Australian sport who have paved the way for us.

"Now for me to get a chance to create my own legacy, my own guide for youngsters coming through is really exciting."

Barty will be playing in both the singles and doubles, teaming up with Western Australia's Storm Sanders.

“I'm excited to play both singles and doubles. Any opportunity you get to wear the green and gold, I wanted to grab it with both hands," Barty said.

"I'm fit, I'm healthy, I'm excited to play doubles with Storm, she's a childhood friend of mine and we've played a lot together from when we were young.

"So to be able to live out this dream with her is really, really special.”

Another debutant will be Alex de Minaur who recently reached his highest ever ranking, moving up to number 15 in the world. 

The 22-year-old says that it's always been a dream to represent his country at an Olympics. 

“It's always been a dream of mine to be able to represent Australia at the Olympics, it's an incredibly special feeling,” De Minaur said.

“I think we've got a great tennis team all around, both in the men and the women.

"Hopefully we can go out there and go deep and that’s what we're going to try and do. We’ve got a great camaraderie going and we're going to push each other to do well.

“The preparation, the anticipation brings a higher level of intensity and of course, passion.

"Playing for your country, it's always going to be very special, it's going to be amazing.

"I can't wait to go with all the other incredible athletes from Australia and hopefully represent Australia and do Australia proud.”

 
   
 

For John Millman and John Peers, Tokyo will be their second Olympics after both competing at Rio in 2016. 

However, the most experienced player in the team will be Sam Stosur. Tokyo is set to be her fifth Olympic Games after making her debut in Athens 2004. 

Stosur will become one of the most decorated female Australian Olympians of all-time, only two women have represented the team at more Games than her five. 

Mary Hanna (equestrian) and Jian Fang Lay (table tennis) will both be competing at their sixth Games in Tokyo.

Speaking on her selection, Stosur was still in disbelief that she was playing good enough tennis to be considered for the team at this point in her career.

“It's super special being able to represent your country in one Olympics let alone five,” Stosur said. 

"I can’t believe I'm still going at this point in time, but thankfully I was able to keep going and make it between London and Tokyo which I didn’t ever think was going to be on the cards.

“To be part of a broader Australian team, that's just another level of representation and there's so many amazing, fantastic athletes, in the team every single year. 

“In primary school we did a time capsule thing. I went to the school for the first year that it opened, and I wrote in there that I wanted to win a Grand Slam, be number one in the world and go to an Olympic Games.

"To have done two out of the three, thinking that when I was nine or 10 years old, who would've thought, is something incredible.”

Another debutant in Tokyo will be 26-year-old Nick Kyrgios. 

Kyrgios has made clear his love of playing in team environments and has excelled in past tournaments for Australia in the Davis Cup. There's no doubt the Olympics will bring out the best in him. 

Ajla Tomljanovic will also represent Australia at the Games for the first time. 

The 28-year-old spoke to Sporting News during the 2020 summer about how the Olympics were a goal for her moving forward. 

"The Olympics are actually a really big goal of mine this year to make it and go," Tomljanovic said. 

"It would be something I’d never forget, now that I can be eligible, I’m really excited for it."

James Duckworth, Luke Saville, Ellen Perez and Storm Sanders will also be making their Olympic debut in Tokyo. 

Alicia Molik will captain the women's team while Jaymon Crabb will lead the men. 

Ian Chesterman, Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo, was confident that the team is one that can generate plenty of success in Japan. 

“It’s fantastic to announce our biggest ever Australian Olympic Tennis Team,” Chesterman said.

“Over the years many of our Australian tennis players have embraced the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympic Games.

"Now these 11 players add to that story. It is a highly credentialed team that has a real opportunity to add to Australia’s Olympic history.

“I want to particularly congratulate Sam Stosur on becoming Australia’s first tennis player to make it to five Olympics.

"She joins a select group of Athletes who have been selected on five Australian Olympic Teams. To create a career that stretches from Athens in 2004 to Tokyo in 2021 is a remarkable feat."

Barty, de Minaur, Millman and Stosur are the four athletes that will be participating in both singles and doubles. 

Kyrgios, Duckworth and Tomljanovic will be playing singles only, while Peers, Saville, Sanders and Perez will only be involved in the doubles. 

The doubles pairs will be de Minaur-Peers, Millman-Saville, Barty-Sanders and Stosur-Perez.

Australian Olympic Tennis Team for Tokyo

Ash Barty - Singles, doubles

Alex de Minaur - Singles, doubles

James Duckworth - Singles

Nick Kyrgios - Singles

John Millman - Singles, doubles

John Peers - Doubles

Ellen Perez - Doubles

Storm Sanders - Doubles

Luke Saville - Doubles

Samantha Stosur - Singles, doubles

Ajla Tomljanovic - Singles

 

Lachlan McKirdy

Lachlan McKirdy Photo