Alicia Molik honoured with Spirit of Tennis Award | 11 December, 2023 | All Information | Information and Options | Information and Occasions

Melbourne, Australia, 11 December 2023 | Matt Trollope

Alicia Molik has been honoured with the Spirit of Tennis Award at Monday night time’s Australian Tennis Awards.

Molik was introduced by Tennis Australia chair Jayne Hrdlicka for her unbelievable contribution to the game, following a decade serving as captain of the Australian Billie Jean King Cup workforce.

“It’s humbling. I’m flattered. To a level it’s additionally embarrassing as a result of I really feel so many individuals achieve this rather more than me within the sport of tennis. It’s an actual privilege and an actual honour to obtain this award,” Molik stated throughout her acceptance speech at Melbourne’s Palladium at Crown.

RELATED: Alex de Minaur awarded the 2023 Newcombe Medal

“Having devoted lots of the final 10 years in ladies’s tennis, I’ve observed an enormous quantity of change and development getting nearer to equality. I’m actually pleased with that development that we’ve made and we’re making in ladies’s tennis. Nonetheless larger strides to be made sooner or later with this workforce sitting earlier than me and with Sam (Stosur) main the cost – I’m rapt she’ll be within the place to assist these younger sturdy ladies and what they need to obtain within the sport of tennis.

“I’m actually pleased with what profession pathways our sport of tennis offers. I’m actually pleased with the inclusivity. I’m actually pleased with the truth that it’s an area that everybody can really feel welcome and included once they stroll right down to their native tennis membership.

“I nonetheless spend, I’ve to say, 5 days every week at my native tennis membership in Perth, Cottesloe Tennis Membership. If it’s not the youngsters, it’s us as adults having successful, or nonetheless taking part in pennants, consider it or not.

“I believe it’s a reasonably darn superb neighborhood that we have now. It’s fairly unbelievable the individuals you meet, they’re outstanding people that preserve this sport ticking. Properly executed to every one in all you who nonetheless considers tennis to be a spot of dwelling.

“Congratulations to everybody right here within the room – I do know a few of you’ve got gained fairly particular awards, however enormous thanks to each one in all you right here tonight and your contribution to this glorious sport of tennis.

“I find it irresistible. I find it irresistible.”

Molik was an inspirational and in style chief of the Australian Billie Jean King Cup workforce since taking up the function in 2013, guiding the green-and-gold to 2 finals in 2019 and 2022.

Doubles world No.1 Storm Hunter, a pivotal member of the workforce, spoke about Alicia’s unbelievable contribution in a particular tribute performed on

“Win or lose, when you give it your greatest effort, she’s simply tremendous pleased with you and she or he simply makes you’re feeling prefer it’s a household and that, it doesn’t matter what, she’s gonna be there for you,” Hunter mirrored.

Sam Stosur, who performed on the Australian workforce all through the whole thing of Molik’s captaincy, will take over the function from her countrywoman.

She was glowing in her reward for Molik, who was additionally her Billie Jean King Cup teammate and one-time coach.

“Alicia’s executed a tremendous job on this function, along with her management with the gamers. Everybody all the time needs to be a part of the workforce; there’s an excellent workforce tradition,” Stosur stated.

“I believe the camaraderie between the gamers and all the pieces that she’s helped create over a extremely very long time is vitally vital to attempt to preserve.

“I’d love to simply attempt to preserve the foundations that she’s been in a position to construct… I believe the one factor everybody may discuss being on court docket underneath her, was you knew she totally believed in you on the court docket.

“As a participant I all the time felt that and knew that was vital.”

Molik’s tennis journey continues as she takes on a brand new problem as Event Director for the Adelaide Worldwide.

It’s a return to her dwelling city for the brand new project, having taken up the game within the South Australian capital.

These had been the primary steps in a profession that will see her ascend into the world’s prime 10 in each singles and doubles.

When the competitors was then often called Fed Cup, she started her consultant profession in 1999, and would go on to play 22 ties for the green-and-gold.

She additionally represented Australia at three Olympic Video games, profitable a singles bronze medal on the Athens 2004 Video games – one thing she names as a spotlight of her profession.

Her run in Athens was a part of a six-month purple patch, a career-zenith that noticed her defeat reigning Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova to win the Tier I title in Zurich late in 2014.

Ending that season at world No.13, she kicked on in 2005, profitable the Sydney Worldwide after which progressing to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal on the Australian Open – as profitable the doubles title that 12 months at Melbourne Park with Svetlana Kuznetsova.

She went on to peak at world No.8 in February 2005, and some months later world No.6 in doubles.

Whereas her ascent was cruelly reduce quick by a debilitating inner-ear virus, she rebounded to win the doubles title at Roland Garros in 2007, the identical season she returned to the world’s prime 60 in singles.

After concluding her taking part in profession at Australian Open 2011, Molik was appointed Australia’s Fed Cup captain in early 2013 – a workforce she would in the end result in finals in 2019 and 2022.

“I’ve actually seen and skilled all the pieces. So on a private word, extremely fulfilled,” Molik stated earlier within the night, because the outgoing captain.

“I’ve given all the pieces that I presumably may have given to the workforce, however I believe firstly I really feel like my job was to all the time method it and provides our ladies, and younger women and youngsters, a can-do perspective that they will actually consider in themselves, their careers. They will proceed to maneuver ahead and so they’ve obtained the backing of the workforce round them.

“As a result of typically, confidence is a troublesome one for younger females beginning out on tour, so I believe when ladies particularly really feel kike they’re extremely supported, inspired, they develop a brand new sense of confidence.

“In order that’s been my job; I’ve loved that. Consider me, there’s some robust instances too, the tears of choice, in all probability the nights I don’t get pleasure from a lot.

“However on the entire, I really feel actually grateful that I’ve been in a position to maintain the place for this time period, and it’s simply been a extremely huge pleasure to observe the workforce carry out this effectively.”

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