Tennis scholar takes singles and doubles titles at Australian Open

University of Stirling tennis star Anna McBride has claimed a second sweep at the Australian Open – after winning the women’s singles and doubles titles in its players with intellectual impairment (PWII) event.

The 20-year-old, who is a first-year sports scholar, went into the competition at Melbourne Park as defending champion, having taken top place in both the singles and doubles at last year’s inaugural event.

PHOTO: TENNIS AUSTRALIA/ MARK DADSWELL

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “Congratulations to Anna on retaining both her singles and doubles titles at the PWII event at the Australian Open. 

“Anna is a very talented player and has worked hard in the build-up to the tournament, so we are delighted to see her return with the silverware once again; which is nothing short of what she deserves. 

“Hopefully she will take a lot of confidence from her stellar performances in Australia when she arrives back to Stirling, ready to compete in the business end of the British Universities and Colleges Sport season for the University.”

The number one seed faced Germany’s Sophia Schmidt in the first group stage match of the singles, before taking on Australian Carla Lenarduzzi and finishing with a 6-2 6-0 victory against Kelly Wren.

Anna, from Dunfermline, and her double’s partner, Schmidt, then faced three other pairs, before being crowned champions in the women’s doubles.

Anna, who is studying a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at the University, was supported in Melbourne by her parents, the Lawn Tennis Association’s Disability Competitions Manager Sophie Hall, and five teammates from Team GB. 

The University of Stirling is Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence, with world-class facilities providing the perfect training environment for the University’s sports scholars. The University offers sports scholarships as part of the largest high-performance sports programme in the UK. For more information, visit the University of Stirling website. 

PWII event

In 2023, in a landmark move for the world’s tennis stars with an intellectual or hearing impairment, the Australian Open became the first slam to hold PWII and deaf or hard of hearing (DHOH) events. Launched in collaboration with Tennis Australia, the event follows the Open’s All Abilities Day, which celebrates the diverse opportunities available to all members of the tennis community, and provides a platform and voice for all involved.  

Played on hardcourt at Melbourne Park, the women’s singles tournament – which has eight entries – begins with a round robin, before moving into a knockout phase. Matches are played as a best-of-three tiebreak format.  

In the doubles, matches move straight to knockout and are played as best-of-two tiebreak sets, with a deciding match tiebreak played where required.