The squad departs on October 26 and returns on October 29.

The tour is the first of this kind in the history of the NIAS tennis program and head coach Jarrod Campbell cannot wait for the opportunity to test the squad’s skills against NSW’s best and learn from some of the greats of Australian tennis.

“To be part of the first tour to Sydney is fantastic. The athletes will receive the best coaching from the National Tennis Academy of NSW, involving extremely competitive match play for all of our academy athletes,” Campbell said. 

The NIAS athletes will gain a far greater insight into what steps must be taken to become a professional tennis player.

The National Academies is Tennis Australia’s high-performance program and offers a comprehensive tennis training program to allow athletes to reach their full potential, with the ultimate vision of producing grand slam champions.

The training camp will be orchestrated by Jaslyn Hewitt, sister to one of Australia’s greatest tennis players, Lleyton Hewitt. 

NIAS tennis head coach Dale Martin is eager to be involved in taking his players’ games to the next level with the support of Tennis NSW.

“For our athletes to spend time with such a successful and highly regarded name as Hewitt will be instrumental [in helping them achieve their goals],” he said.

The tour will conclude with match play against athletes from the National Tennis Academy of NSW.

The squad will have the privilege of playing on Ken Rosewall Arena.

The Sydney International is held at the venue one week prior to the Australian Open each year.

NIAS tennis coach Justin Sherriff is looking forward to some valuable match play for all academy athletes. 

“This will be a great learning experience for our athletes and a great test.  Most of the athletes have been in the academy for many years,” he said.

“And this will be a fantastic opportunity to put these years of training into play.” 

Visit www.nias.org.au or phone 6766 2526 for information on NIAS sporting programs for 2018. 

ATHLETE PROFILE: Blair Maloney

Sport: Rugby league   

What town or city do you come from?: Tamworth. 

How long have you been involved with NIAS?: Two years (one year in the NIAS touch program). 

Age: 15 years old.

What is your sporting ambition?: To become a regular NRL player. 

Highest achievement in sport: Qualifying for the quarter finals in the NSW Combined High Schools Buckley Shield.  

Hero: Jarryd Hayne, professional Rugby League player. 

Biggest influence: My dad, for always putting in the effort in taking me to rugby league carnivals.  

What do you like doing when you’re not involved in sport?: Catching up with my brother and going to the farm.