Brent Larkham with Colin Adrian, Tennis ACT. Photo: Anastasia Kachalkova.
It should come as no surprise that Brent Larkham would forge a successful tennis career, first as a player and now as a coach.
His father, Bruce, was the king of tennis in the ACT for many years, both as a player and then as a coach, having established the Hawker Tennis Centre.
The Hawker Centre played a role in the lives of generations of young Canberra tennis players under the guidance of Bruce.
Brent and his younger brother, Todd, were raised on the tennis courts of Canberra, and both went on to have impressive playing careers.
Brent reached a career high of 108 in 1994 after advancing to the third round of the Australian Open that year as a wildcard, while Todd, at one point in his playing career, was ranked 136.
But it was their post-playing career as coaches that set them apart from many.
Todd coached Nick Kyrgios, as well as countless junior players, through the ACT system.
Brent is back in the Tennis Australia fold, guiding the next generation of young players as they prepare to take on the world.
“I was surrounded by tennis from a young age, with my family owning the Hawker Tennis Centre. I started coaching when I was 14 years of age,” remembers Brent.
That youthful experience would prove invaluable later in life as a back injury brought an early end to a promising career just as it was about to take off in his early 20s after five years on the circuit.”
At the age of 23, he was back coaching.
“My peer group of friends were tennis players, so after I realised I couldn’t continue playing, coaching seemed like a natural profession.”
That decision paid off, as Brent utilised over 40 years of coaching experience that inevitably had a positive impact on the lives of many of Australia’s up-and-coming tennis players.
In recognition, Tennis ACT has named Brent as the 15th inductee to the Walk of Fame.
“It’s a great honour to be inducted to the Walk of Fame,” he said.
“I now live in Brisbane, but Canberra will always be home.”
Brent joins the likes of Wally Masur and Annabel Ellwood on the Walk of Fame.
Brent’s father, Bruce, is also there, having been inducted in 2018.
All 15 have left a lasting legacy on tennis in Canberra, as Brent continues to do so.
