The International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA) is delighted to announce that Molly McElwee has been awarded the 2024 Tom Perrotta Prize for Tennis Journalism.
The annual prize, which was inaugurated in 2022, is awarded to a writer aged 35 or under who shows excellence in tennis journalism. It includes a cash prize of $2,000 and will be presented during the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
McElwee, a freelance journalist from Gibraltar, was awarded the prize by a panel of seven leading tennis journalists. The entries were judged blind.
McElwee submitted two feature articles: an interview with Judy Murray on the mental turmoil of being a tennis mother and a piece entitled: “Mums on Tour,” an in-depth feature looking at what it takes to be a mother and a professional tennis player.
“I am so grateful and thrilled to be awarded the Tom Perrotta Prize this year, it is a real honor,” said McElwee, who is the first woman to win the award. “I unfortunately never knew Tom before his passing, but through his colleagues heard what an exceptional person and reporter he was.
“I’d like to thank Tom’s family and ITWA for creating this prize as part of his legacy. I hope it can continue to support young journalists in tennis for years to come. I’d also like to thank my editors at Bagel Magazine and the Telegraph for commissioning me to write these pieces, and those who trusted me to tell their stories about motherhood in tennis -- be it on the court or up in the stands."
The award is in memory of the American writer Tom Perrotta, whose exemplary contributions to tennis were curtailed by his untimely death at the age of 44.
The judges praised the overall standard of entries and ITWA would like to thank all those who entered or were nominated and the judging panel for their time and expertise.
The Association of Tennis Professionals, The Women’s Tennis Association, The International Tennis Federation and ITWA co-sponsor the prize.
Details of how to enter the competition in 2025 will be announced in due course.
