Westie’s way is the best
Coast tennis identity still helping drive the sport
RAY West first met tennis 58 years ago and the two have been there for each other ever since.
It started on court. With a career to date built upon local, national and international titles, a French Open debut in 1971, four Australian team representations in the ITF World Team Cup and even a couple of team captaincies.
West, 73, has found his feet in seniors tennis, holding both a singles and doubles ranking within the top 10 in Australia.
In terms of ITF seniors world rankings, West sits comfortably inside the top 150 singles players and No.8 in the world for mixed doubles.
If you ask West, it is what tennis has done for him which has motivated him to do everything he does for tennis.
He’s been a member of Miami Tennis Club for 40 years and for the past 18 of those has been club president.
Having fearlessly led the club through many milestones, he has only just taken a small step back and into the position of vice-president this year.
The team at Miami put his success and commitment to the club down to his innovation, can-do attitude and ability to master anything he tries.
Still devoted to always give back, West recently achieved his qualifications as Tennis Australia court supervisor and is just winding down from his first gig at the weekend.
And it’s all of this which has led to West being awarded the 2018 volunteer of the year at Tennis Gold Coast’s night of nights, a place on the honour board of Seniors Tennis Queensland and a walkway at Miami Tennis Club created to permanently honour his dedication – “Westie’s Way”.
He still plays three times each week and is now ready to represent Australia at the 2019 ITF World Team Championships in Croatia in September. Good luck, Ray.