Source: Australia Government Statements 2
First, I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land, the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin nation.
I pay my respects to Elders, past and present.
It is fantastic to be here in Melbourne – a city that knows how to host the world.
A city that understands sport not simply as competition, but as connection.
And it is especially fitting to gather here while the Australian Open is underway.
Because every January, Melbourne becomes something more than a sporting capital.
It becomes a meeting place of nations. A reminder that sport – at its best – is one of the great democratic forces of our time.
Where a ball, a court, and a moment of courage can change a life.
Tonight, as we celebrate an Indo-Pacific showcase, I want to talk about what sport – and tennis in particular – tells us about equality, opportunity, and the future we are building together in our region.
Because tennis is a sport that has carried the weight of social change.
A sport where the court has often been a stage for progress.
From Billie Jean King in the 1970s fighting for equal prize money and her iconic Battle of the Sexes match against Bobby Riggs, to the quiet defiance of young girls picking up a racquet and insisting they belong.
Like our very own Ash Barty – the epitome of a role model. She embodied calm authority on and off the court.
As an Indigenous Australian woman, her success and good nature expanded representation in elite tennis.
As did her decision to retire while being the best in the world.
At a time when women are told to push through and never step away, her choice reminded us that equality also means control over your own career and your own narrative.
Tennis reminds us that equality is not theoretical.
It is lived, point by point, match by match.
And that lesson matters deeply in the Indo-Pacific.
Our region is home to extraordinary talent.
But it is also home to deep inequality.
Too often, girls are told – subtly or explicitly – that sport is not for them.
That leadership is not for them.
That ambition should be tempered, narrowed, or deferred.
And yet we know this truth: when women and girls participate fully – in sport, in leadership, in public life – communities are stronger, economies grow, and societies are more resilient.
Gender equality is not a “nice to have”.
It is a strategic imperative.
That is why Australia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific is grounded in partnership – and in principle.
And that is why sport is such a powerful part of our regional story.
Through the PacificAus Sports program, Australia is investing in more than athletic performance.
We are investing in people.
PacificAus Sports supports athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials across the Pacific, with a strong focus on women and girls.
It creates pathways where few previously existed.
It opens doors that history has too often kept shut.
And it sends a clear message: talent has no gender – and opportunity should not either.
Tennis is a sport of individual courage.
You step onto the court alone.
You make your own decisions.
You own both your mistakes and your triumphs.
For young women, particularly in small island nations, that experience can be transformative.
It builds confidence.
It builds agency.
It builds the belief that you are entitled to take up space and to be seen.
And when those athletes return home as coaches, mentors, and leaders, the impact multiplies.
Because the most powerful legacy of sport is not medals.
It is role models.
Here, on these courts, the world sees women compete as equals.
Same stage. Same pressure. Same expectation of excellence.
Young girls watching from Suva, Port Vila, Honiara, or Apia see something vital.
They see that greatness is possible.
They see that strength and grace are not contradictions.
They see futures they can imagine themselves into.
Visibility matters. Representation matters. Responsibility matters.
Australia understands that as a nation privileged to host events of global significance, we have an obligation to ensure the benefits extend beyond our borders.
To ensure that sport is not extractive, but empowering.
To ensure that partnerships are genuine, not performative.
We celebrate the participants in this year’s Pacific Women Leaders in Tennis program.
These twelve women have already made important contributions as role models and leaders.
We also celebrate the players and coaches taking part in the Asia-Pacific 14 and Under Elite Trophy.
This is the spirit of PacificAus Sports and its partnership with Tennis Australia.
It is shaped with our partners, not imposed upon them.
It reflects local priorities, local leadership, and local ambition.
Sport teaches us respect.
In tennis, you shake hands at the net.
You accept the umpire’s call.
You learn to compete fiercely without losing sight of fairness.
Mutual respect is the foundation of lasting relationships.
Australia’s vision for the Indo-Pacific is one of stability, openness, and shared prosperity.
To the athletes here tonight: you are not just competitors.
You are leaders. You are ambassadors. You are proof that excellence knows no postcode.
Australia will continue to stand with you.
As the lights shine on Melbourne’s courts this week, let us remember that success is not only who lifts the trophy.
It is how many doors are opened, how many voices are heard, and how many futures are expanded.
That is the promise of sport.
That is the purpose of PacificAus Sports.
And that is the kind of Indo-Pacific partnership Australia is committed to building together.
Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you back here competing in the Grand Slam in years to come.