Nick Kyrgios does not yet own a tour-level title, but won the most talked-about match of the Australian tennis year amid great global acclaim to reach his debut grand slam quarter-final, and thus the 2014 Newcombe Medal for the nation's outstanding player.
At the end of just his first full year on the circuit, Kyrgios, 19, joins three-time medallist Sam Stosur and 2013 recipient Lleyton Hewitt on the honour roll, presented at the annual tennis awards night in Melbourne by the former champion for whom it is named: John Newcombe.
The charismatic Canberran, who started the season ranked 183rd, finished it at No.52, and as the national No.2 behind Hewitt. As a wildcard entry, he famously upset world No.1 Rafael Nadal en route to the last eight at Wimbledon, his breakthrough major, reached the third round at the US Open, and collected ATP Challenger titles in Nottingham, Savannah and Sarasota.
In September, he was a member of the Davis Cup team that retained its world group place with a 5-0 defeat of Uzbekistan, but has since played just one match, due to a stress reaction in his arm. Kyrgios will fly to Asia this week to compete for the Singapore Slingers in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League, where his teammates will include Hewitt, Pat Rafter, Andre Agassi and Serena Williams.
Kyrgios is the youngest player in the world's top 90, and while Australia does not boast one sub-20 singles player on either rankings list, a measure of the increased depth in the local game was the fact that a case - of varying strength - could be made for any of the four finalists.
Hewitt won two ATP singles titles to join Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic as one of only four active men to boast 30 career titles; Stosur successfully defended her crown in Osaka and remains the highest-ranked player in the land; and Casey Dellacqua enjoyed a consistent, career-best season that peaked at No.26. The experienced West Australian has also been nominated for the WTA's Most Improved Player award in 2014.
Dellacqua's coach, Victorian Shannon Nettle, was recognised with the coaching excellence award at the high performance level, for which Simon Rea, who coached Kyrgios for the first half of the year and is now working with Stosur, was among the finalists.
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Destanee Aiava were named junior athletes of the year, and there was a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the triumph of Australia's 1974 Fed Cup team. The President's Spirit of Tennis award went to Sydney's Carol Langsford for her outstanding contribution to the sport.
Award winners
- Newcombe Medal: Nick Kyrgios – Canberra, ACT
- President's Spirit of Tennis Award: Carol Langsford – Collaroy Beach, NSW
- Female Junior Athlete of the Year: Destanee Aiava – Narre Warren, Vic
- Male Junior Athlete of the Year: Thanasi Kokkinakis – North Adelaide, SA
- Coaching Excellence (Club): Craig Louis – Gunnedah, NSW
- Coaching Excellence (ANZ Tennis Hot Shots): Tim Connelly – Newport, Vic
- Coaching Excellence (Talent Development): Graeme Brimblecombe – Graceville East, Qld
- Coaching Excellence (High Performance): Shannon Nettle – Mordialloc, Victoria
- Most Outstanding Club: Morningside Tennis Centre, Qld
- Most Outstanding School: Parkes Public School, NSW
- Most Outstanding Tennis Community: Tennis Knox – Wantirna South, Vic
- Most Outstanding Professional Tournament: Hutchinson Builders Toowoomba International, Qld
- Most Outstanding Australian Ranking Tournament: Bendigo Classic, Vic
- Excellence in Officiating: Tom Sweeney – Benalla, Vic
- Most Outstanding 35+ Tennis Senior: Ros Balodis – Flynn, ACT
- Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability: Adam Kellerman – St Ives, NSW
- Volunteer Achievement Award: Wendy Hudson – Laurieton, NSW
