Nicole Pratt honored with Georgina Clark Mother Award at Australian Open

MELBOURNE -- Presentation of the Georgina Clark Mother Award was the heartfelt focal point of a WTA Legends & Friends reunion held at Melbourne Park before main-draw action got underway. Appropriately, this year’s recipient was one of the most respected figures on the Australian tennis scene -- former World No.35 and stalwart coach and mentor Nicole Pratt.

The much-admired Englishwoman Georgina Clark was the WTA’s vice president for European Operations and worldwide tour director. The first female to umpire a Wimbledon final -- Evert vs. Navratilova in 1984 -- she hosted Princess Diana at the opening of the WTA’s London office and earned the moniker “Mother Superior” for the support and guidance she gave to players on the circuit.

Alongside her trailblazing career in officiating and administration, she raised her own five children, as well as three of her sister’s children after their mother died at an early age. Clark passed away in 2010 after a five-year battle with progressive supranuclear palsy.

The award given in her honor recognizes former WTA players who’ve made a significant contribution to the culture and emotional life of the WTA family -- improving the sport and helping those less fortunate in the wider community. Pratt becomes the third Australian to receive the accolade, after Judy Tegart Dalton and Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Renowned for her supreme fitness and on-court tenacity, Pratt won the Australian Open juniors in 1991. More than a decade later, she captured her first WTA singles title at 2004 Hyderabad. Her best Grand Slam result was a memorable run to the Round of 16 at the Australian Open in 2003.

She also won nine WTA doubles titles, played what is now the Billie Jean King Cup from 1998 until 2004 and represented Australia at the Olympics Games in Sydney and Athens.

“After retiring from tour action, ‘Pratty’ immediately turned her attention to the next generation and over the past 16 years she has built a reputation as one of the most astute, trustworthy, knowledgeable and caring coaches,” said Casey Dellacqua, the reunion’s emcee. “It’s fair to say she has elevated the coaching of professional tennis with her wit, insight and passion for the game.”

Currently, Pratt is Head of Women’s Tennis for Tennis Australia, and coach of the nation’s Billie Jean King Cup team. During her playing days, she was elected as a WTA Player Council representative from 2000-2008 and WTA Board Director Player Representative from 2008-2012. For her efforts, she is a four-time winner of the WTA’s Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, former ATP World No.1 Pat Rafter (who came through Queensland’s tennis ranks with Pratt) and Aussie legends Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs paid tribute before Stosur and Stubbs presented their friend with the perpetual trophy, along with a bracelet to keep.

“This is very, very special,” Pratt said in response. “I was fortunate enough to be on tour with Georgina, who was tough, but fair. I’d like to think that throughout my tennis journey I’ve been the same. Another similarity I think we share is that we are absolute softies on the inside. I melt when it comes to my family, and my players -- and my tennis family.”

She added: “Looking back, I had the ability to find myself in wonderful environments -- people that believed in me, regardless of the situation, and that’s something that I want to pass on to others. I think that belief is one of the most important things that we need to instil in our players and within our families.

“I grew up on a sugar cane farm and learnt to play the game against a wall. And here I am, standing here today – I’m a big believer that anything is possible.”

Another highlight of the reunion saw 50th anniversary commemorations for the Women’s Tennis Foundation, originally known as the Australian Women’s Tennis Association (AWTA).

In June, 1974, a group of young Australian players gathered at a tournament in Beckenham, England, and then at the Gloucester Hotel in London -- where the WTA had been formed a year earlier -- to create a body with the chief aim to stage satellite tournaments that female players could compete in when they returned Down Under from their long international trips.

Future World No.3 Wendy Turnbull won the first event, held in Sydney, and over the years competitions were also held in Melbourne and regional Victoria. A sponsor, QBE Insurance, was found and in addition to competing, the players held operational roles. 

In time, the AWTA evolved to become the Fed Cup Foundation, under the leadership of Tegart Dalton. Today, it is known as the Women’s Tennis Foundation, with the ongoing remit to grow the game from the grass roots and Pratt is the incumbent president.

Ten of the organization’s founding members joined a photo call: Chris Crawford (Cerato), Christine Dorey (Matison), Clare Higgs (Douglas), Dianne Evers, Kaye Nealon (Hallam), Lois Plowman (Raymond), Gwen Warnock (Stirton), Jan Van der Weide (Wilton), Pam Whytcross and Turnbull.

“All the legends here have helped shape me and I’m really pumped that you get to spend some with each other and share some stories,” Pratt said.

“I’ve always felt it’s important to honor the history of the game and give back to the next generation. We would not have been able to do what we continue to do without the incredibly brave women of the Original 9 and Billie Jean leading the founding of the WTA in 1973. That’s the year I was born, so maybe it’s good karma!”

Other guests at the reunion included the Original 9’s Dalton, WTA founding members Ingrid Löfdahl Bentzer and Ilana Kloss, former French Open champion Iva Majoli, supercoach Judy Murray and current players Storm Hunter and Kimberly Birrell.