Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt and current top player Alex de Minaur have been pivotal figures in sustaining the former tennis powerhouse's aspirations for success over recent decades. Their roles highlight a broader cultural continuity within Australian tennis, where legends from past golden eras actively engage with and mentor today's emerging talents.
The Wimbledon Aussie Barbecue: A Celebrated Tradition
Each year on the first Friday of Wimbledon, a growing crowd gathers at a house near the All England Club for a distinctive celebration known as the "Aussie Barbecue." Organised by Tennis Australia, this event has become a fixed appointment in the tennis calendar, bringing together current competitors, retired stars, coaches, administrators, and journalists. The occasion offers outstanding food and drinks, with a large marquee ensuring festivities proceed regardless of weather conditions.
Beyond the social enjoyment, the evening serves a vital purpose in preserving connections between different generations of Australian tennis professionals. This intergenerational bonding helps transmit the sport's rich heritage and competitive ethos to newer players.
A Legacy of Champions and Current Challenges
Australia boasts an exceptionally rich tennis history. During the 1950s and 1960s, Australian male players secured 53 out of 80 major championships, while Australian women, led by Margaret Court, claimed 18 of 40 majors in the same decade. Iconic names such as Frank Sedgman, Ken McGregor, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Tony Roche, and John Newcombe dominated the sport both domestically and internationally.
That extraordinary period of dominance is unlikely to be replicated. It has been half a century since Mark Edmondson became the last home men's champion at the Australian Open, and 24 years have passed since Lleyton Hewitt's Wimbledon victory, the most recent Australian men's singles winner at the All England Club. Aside from successes by Sam Stosur and Ash Barty, major titles have been scarce for Australian players in recent times.
Preserving Heritage Through Mentorship and Davis Cup Culture
Heritage remains profoundly important within Australian tennis circles. Attendees at the Aussie Barbecue witness multiple generations of greats interacting, sharing anecdotes, and enjoying camaraderie. Many conversations revolve around the Davis Cup, an institution that holds special significance for Australian tennis, having been won 15 times during the 1950s and 1960s.
Tony Roche emphasises the value of this continuity: "I think it's very important. It probably started with Frank Sedgman and Kenny McGregor, really, of course, Harry Hopman. It was sort of, I guess, easier to do in those days, to pass the history down the line, because you were brought into Davis Cup squads and travelled in teams at a very young age, and you had these great players there to learn from."
Roche notes that this was a robust tradition in Australia that temporarily waned before being revitalised. "We lost our way a little bit there for a while but John Newcombe and myself took over the Davis Cup. We sort of reintroduced that. And, you know, a classic example was Lleyton Hewitt, who we took to maybe five or six Davis Cup ties as an 'orange boy' [young players brought along for experience and practice]. That was a very important part of our culture."
Personal Experiences of Mentorship
Todd Woodbridge, who captured 16 grand slam doubles titles including 11 with compatriot Mark Woodforde, recalls being compared to past legends during his junior career. He views this as both a pressure and a privilege and is committed to offering guidance to younger players. "I've tried to be able to do that and be that mentor, if it was appropriate for someone to come up and ask me," Woodbridge states. "I think that we've still got that in Australian tennis, and that's really, really important to me and I think it's important to young people, because even though, and I was like this, you think you're invincible when you're out there and nothing else matters, I've now got that experience and understand that."
Allan Stone, the 1977 Australian Open doubles champion, reminisces about his own formative experience as a ballboy during a Davis Cup tie at Kooyong. "When we finished, Ashley Cooper, who was the Wimbledon champ, said: 'son, do you play?' I said, yeah – I was playing in the under-12s at that point – and he says, 'do you want to hit?' His racket was a bit too big and heavy for me, but he hit with me for about 10 minutes. I have never forgotten it. And when I got older, Laver and Rosewell, Emerson and [Fred] Stolle, they'd hit with us and look after us."
The Baton Passes to Newer Generations
Tony Roche, who coached Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter, observes that the thread of mentorship continues through Hewitt, now Australia's Davis Cup captain, and his protégé Alex de Minaur. "We had a good attitude but we enjoyed it," Roche reflects. "You worked hard, you played hard, and you knew how to enjoy yourselves. I think that has sort of probably gone out of the game a little bit."
With Frank Sedgman and Ken Rosewall in their nineties, and Rod Laver and Tony Roche in their eighties, the responsibility for upholding this tradition will soon transition to figures like Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter. Roche expresses confidence in the future. "With Lleyton, it's in very good hands. I mean, you couldn't get a more passionate leader, somebody that leads by example. The players all look up to him. I think it's very important that he continues in that role."
This enduring connection between eras, celebrated through events like the Aussie Barbecue and embedded in Davis Cup culture, ensures that Australia's tennis heritage remains a living, influential force for current and future players.
