Born in Brazil but living in Australia since 2004, former professional fencer Tuko Maia has a degree in sports science, a postgraduate qualification in sports administration and has been submerged within sport for most of his adult life.

It was while working at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games that he first discovered beach tennis on the sands of Rio de Janeiro and he remembers musing why it was not visible back home in sports-mad Perth.  

A few months later Tuko met his future wife, Clarisse Menezes, in Paris and it became clear that she too was a beach tennis enthusiast having played in Rio with the likes of Joana Cortez and Samantha Barijan.

As romance blossomed, so did conversations about establishing beach tennis in Australia and, while this particular strand of the story skips some broad strokes, their quest will this week assume a whole new dimension.

Starting on Friday 30 September, the first ITF beach tennis tournament will take place in Australia with a combined 32 competitors contesting the men’s and women’s draws at BT10 Perth on City Beach. It is a momentous moment.

“To bring an ITF beach tennis event here is a dream,” Maia, who is now the President of Beach Tennis Western Australia, tells itftennis.com. “It has taken a lot of work, but we love the sport, and we want to transform people’s lives through beach tennis.

"We've had a lot of help and support, including from the likes of Alex Mingozzi, who has connected us with beach tennis suppliers and helps us with his incredible coaching methodology.

"Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, he was able to give us online support and mentoring. He is a legend of our sport and we can't wait to have him in Western Australia for coaching clinics and mentoring, and simply sharing his beach tennis experiences. 

“We want to be full on with this. In the future, we want to bring BT400 events here if we can, perhaps host the World Championships one day. Australia has everything we need to grow beach tennis.

"At the end of the day, we’re combining two passions – Australians love tennis, and they love the beach.”

Beach tennis gained significant prominence in Australia after Tennis Australia established an exhibition court and put on demonstration events in inner-city Melbourne during January’s Australian Open.

In attendance were beach tennis ambassadors from Western Australia – Tuko – Sydney and the Gold Coast and from here discussions ensued which resulted in the formation of a national beach tennis tour.

Western Australia had already become the nation's first state to be affiliated with Tennis Australia in respect of beach tennis, with the BT10 event in its capital city Perth a significant step in the sport’s development.  

“The BT10 event is being led by a Beach Tennis operator, Tuko, who has been passionate about growing the sport in Australia for many years,” Callum Beale, Tennis Australia’s Head of Game Development Partnerships, tells itftennis.com. 

“Tuko and others have worked tirelessly to grow the profile of beach tennis, which is now culminating in the introduction of professional ITF events. There is huge excitement regarding this event and the role it can play in further establishing a beach tennis pathway.

“Tennis West [the governing body of tennis in Western Australia] are hugely supportive of the opportunity to profile beach tennis and are putting their support behind operations and promotion.”

Following on from the Australian Open exhibition, there is real appetite and desire within Tennis Australia to see the sport prosper in the coming years. The potential is there for Australia to become a sizeable beach tennis hub.

“Showcasing beach tennis throughout our most prominent and prestigious event generated significant awareness of the sport and we did see an uplift in interest,” added Beale. “We now hope this translates to more year-round activity in Australia.

“We recognise the natural opportunity for beach tennis in Australia given many of our major cities are located on the beach, along with our favourable climate which allows for year-round outdoor activity.

“Our investment in showcasing beach tennis at the Australian Open demonstrates our desire to see the sport grow and we hope to see this occur at an accelerated rate over the coming years.

“We would like to see beach tennis more formally established in all major cities, with consideration given to hosting major events in this time. For this, however, there will be a need for more passionate and qualified operators developing clubs and programs.”

As Beale alludes, a considerable driving force behind the BT10 event in Perth, particularly in respect of operational and promotional support, is Tennis West. From their perspective, there is substantial scope to grow the sport.

“Hosting the first ever ITF beach tennis tournament here in Australia is a landmark occasion,” Rob Kennedy, Head of Tennis – North at Tennis West, tells itftennis.com.

“I believe in years to come the sport will continue to evolve, building on the fantastic foundation already laid as well as the increasing awareness of the sport and number of events taking place.

“I’d love to see the door being opened for the best international beach tennis players to come and play on Australian shores, and from a development and participation perspective, we’d love to establish a pathway for anyone, regardless of age or ability, to get involved.

“From seeing beach tennis in schools to competitions and leagues to ITF-level events, the opportunities are endless for the growth and development of beach tennis within Western Australia and across Australia.”