Tennis West celebrates 100 years of country week tennis as Brett Patten hopes it can ignite regional growth

While the Geraldton Tennis Club prepares for its biggest event with this weekend’s Easter Tournament, another historic tournament is on the horizon with country week tennis to celebrate 100 years next weekend.

The Country Week Tennis Championships began on March 24 in 1923 and is one of the biggest events for WA tennis up and was held in the same esteem as the Hopman Cup.

In its 100 years, Geraldton has been the most successful tennis region winning the men’s title 19 times, the most of any region, and the women’s title five times.

A man who had a big hand in some of those victories was Tennis West CEO Brett Patten who has fond memories of the tournament.

“It was the biggest event on the calendar for regional clubs we used to get over 1000 players, it was a tournament that you absolutely wanted to win,” he said

“Coming out of the regions you felt like if you get win country week then you get springboard on into tennis up in the Perth metro region and, and you felt worthy.

“My father Don played and my uncle Keith played, Uncle Louis played my mother played, all my cousins played so it was a great connection piece, a great family time to come together.”

While the tournament no longer attracts more than 1000 players Patten said the 100-year celebration was a chance to reinvigorate the tournament and regional tennis after the height of COVID and was working with regional stakeholders to attract as many players ass possible.

“Community sport is so critical in the regions because, you know, coming out of COVID, and we saw that people sort of needing that connection and needed the physical and emotional wellbeing,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the demographic of the regions change kids go to school and they generally don’t come back a lot and subsequent to that we’ve seen a reduction in players and we’re trying to ignite country week to get it back to its former glory again.”

“But there’s so much talent in the regions and we just want to tap into that and get kids the opportunity to be part of a club and be part of a coaching environment.”

To celebrate 100 years the tournament will be honouring country week legends from years gone past.

“We’re going to induct over 100 country legends in either participation or championships in our big celebration on Sunday, April 15,” he said.

“It’s a terrific opportunity just to bring all those traditional key regional stakeholders back into the folds of the country week again, and really reignite the passion back in the country tennis.”

“They’ve given their blood to support the growth of tennis, within their towns within their clubs, bringing them all back to induct them into the 100th year, anniversary country week and inducting them into a legend status is just gonna be a wonderful occasion.”

Geraldton most recently won the tournament in 2019 and Patten said they will face stiff competition from the Great Southern regions.

“There are so many strong regional athletes along the southern corridor and Great Southern region, I think they’re probably gonna be the ones to look to,” he said.

“I think Geraldton’s underweight with its talent we need to start really fostering stronger players to come out.”

“Just continually focus on growing coaching programs, opportunities to play more leagues and more competitions in the regions and again, just getting rackets into kids hands so they can feel what it’s like to get onto a court.”

Country week will start on April 14 at Alexander Park in Perth,