Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) tennis scholarship holders Luke Saville and Ashleigh Barty delivered Australia a historic double title last month by winning the boys’ and girls’ Wimbledon Junior Championships.

It is the first time Australia has won both the boy’s and girl’s singles title in the same year.

Barty started slowly in her match against 16-year-old Russian No. 3 seed Irina Kromacheva, trailing 4–1 in the first set before regaining her customary composure to fight back and win the match 7–5, 7–6(3).

‘I think I was just able to stick in there. I was never going to give up,’ Barty said.

‘It’s the final of Junior Wimbledon. I kept trying my guts out for every point. I was able to get a few good points in a row and upset her a little bit.

‘Before the tournament I would have been happy to get through the opening round, so to win the tournament is a dream come true and great boost for Australian tennis.’

Barty’s victory also saw her become the first Indigenous Australian to claim a Wimbledon title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Barty was supported in the stands by her AIS coach Nicole Pratt; AIS Pro Tour squad members Luke Saville, Andrew Whittington and Sean Berman; Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood; and a host of former Australian players, coaches and support staff.

Luke Saville claimed the boys’ singles trophy becoming the first Australian to do so since Todd Reid (former AIS) in 2003, although fellow AIS scholar Ben Mitchell reached the final in 2010.

‘It’s an unbelievable feeling,’ Saville said after winning in three sets (2–6, 6–4, 6–2) over England’s Liam Broady.

‘To win the final of Wimbledon after going down a set and a break is a wonderful feeling.

‘I remember Todd Woodbridge speaking to me. He said the moral of the story is ‘don’t tank, keep fighting to that last point. Even if you lose, give your fellow competitors a message that you’re going to keep on fighting till the last point. Have that never-say-die attitude.

‘I think it’s great. I think Australian junior tennis, although Bernard is not a junior anymore, he made the semis maybe last year or the year before, so I think we’re going in the right direction.

‘This is a great effort by Ash and Luke,’ Tennis Australia’s Director of Tennis, Craig Tiley said.

'Playing in a Junior Grand Slam final is a significant accomplishment and both should be very proud of their success. These younger players continue to make us excited about the future of Australian tennis.’

In the last three months Barty has progressed from 55th to fourth on the world junior rankings. Saville is currently ranked second in the world junior rankings.

The AIS Tennis program, in partnership with Tennis Australia, supports the development of talented athletes by providing access to leading coaching, sport science expertise and world-class training facilities.