Women in big swing to tennis

THE coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on tennis in Far North Queensland – but not in the way you might expect.

Tennis coach Georgina Sesto has been running her women’s learn-to-play tennis classes at the Edge Hill Tennis Club since she moved to Cairns to take on a development role at the club three years ago. While participation had steadily increased during that time, it had been nothing compared to the number of women wanting to pick up a racquet recently, Sesto said.

“It’s definitely been busier after the shutdown,” she said.

“I think it probably put a lot of things in perspective for a lot of people.

“It’s definitely been, for me, busier than it has ever been over the last three and a half years.”

Tennis clubs in Queensland are currently allowed to have more than 20 people at a venue, as long as compliance measures are met, with 10 people permitted per court.

“When I first stepped back on the court with these ladies, they were just so happy and appreciative to be out on the tennis court, and I was the same way,” she said. “Some had never picked up a racket before … and now they’re playing two to three times a week.

“Everyone gets along and they come here with a smile on their face and you can tell they genuinely enjoy it.”

Sesto grew up in Melbourne, where she played a number of junior tournaments as a teenager before earning a tennis scholarship with the University of Hawaii.

She became a certified tennis coach and worked at a country club in Texas before returning to Australia, where she became a Tennis Australia junior development coach.

Edge Hill is running a three-day school holiday clinic next week.