Held on Larrakia Country, the four day 2026 National Indigenous Tennis Carnival (NITC) is the nation’s largest gathering of young First Nations tennis players, bringing together sport, culture, health, education and community.
As the pinnacle event of Tennis Australia’s First Nations tennis pathway, the NITC provides opportunities for both experienced players and those picking up a racquet for the first time.
The tournament featured two streams of play, one for performance including a competitive showdown, and one for participation featuring Hot Shots Tennis and Future Stars for beginner and intermediate players.
The NITC welcomed participants from every state and territory, including nine teams from the Northern Territory representing Darwin, Palmerston and remote communities East Arnhem, Arlparra, Groote Eylandt, Jabiru, Jilkminggan and the Tiwi Islands.
Ash Barty crowned the champions in Darwin, capping off a fantastic week for the more than 160 young First Nations players from across Australia, during which Barty watched matches, met with participants and took part in a range of activities alongside the young players, including ballkids trial and coaching players on court.
Barty awarded the Evonne Goolagong Medal of Excellence as well as crowning Team New South Wales the Ash Barty cup, praising their teamwork, sportsmanship and positive attitude both on and off the court.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, Barty said:
“It’s been a brilliant couple of days up here in Darwin for the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival. It’s always a week that I earmark on the calendar.
“I’m so lucky that every time I come up to Darwin, the kids are excited. It’s nice for me to get back on the court – it’s few and far between these days, so it’s nice to get back out here and do what I love and spend some time with some of the beautiful kids from across our nation.”
“What I love the most is after a couple of days, the kids really start to open up and build that relationship with you and connect, that’s what it’s all about coming here and enjoying time together.”
“The Ash Barty Cup is one of my favourite trophies here. It is for the state that accumulates the most points over the week, so what I love most about it is that it’s working together with your team, having your mates back and going out there and really supporting one another.”
, joining 160 young First Nations participants in Darwin.){kind=link}