THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Mordialloc wheelchair tennis player, Sonny Rennison, is representing Australia at the inaugural BNP Paribas Junior World Team Cup in Knokke-Heist, Belgium – and he’s already made his mark, finishing runner-up in the singles competition before heading into the teams competition where they’re building momentum.
The Junior World Team Cup is the wheelchair tennis equivalent of Davis Cup, considered one of the biggest team tournaments on tour. While the event has previously run alongside the senior competition, this year marks the first time it has been staged as a standalone tournament, designed to elevate the junior division internationally.
Sonny, who holds a world No.8 junior boys ranking, is competing alongside Victorian teammate Arlo Shawcross (age 15) and Queensland’s Joshua Brass (age 16). The Australian team have won both their matches so far, defeating Italy 3-0 and the USA 2-1, and face Brazil next – a win would see them top their group and advance to play the runner-up from the other group in a semi-final.
Speaking from Belgium after his singles final, Sonny said finishing second in such a strong field was something he was proud of.
“Obviously, coming second in the tournament, I’m very proud of myself. It was a very tough draw. I got to play against some new players, which was a very good experience,” he said.
“Getting second is a very big achievement in a draw like that – congratulations to Hirofumi, who just beat me in the final, but yeah, it gives me and my team a big confidence boost to go into the team cup with that second place.”
He said having close mates alongside him made the experience even more special.
“Being able to travel the world with some of your best friends is so cool, and to do that while doing the thing you love most in the world is just incredible,” Sonny said. “They’re cheering for me on the court. We’re goofing about off the court. We get on so well.”
The 13-year-old, who has been playing wheelchair tennis since he was five and was diagnosed with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia at age four, said representing Australia had always been a personal goal.
“I’ve always had a goal to be able to represent my country, and I’m very grateful and happy that I’ve kind of accomplished that goal,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest tournaments on tour, and to represent your country and wear the green and gold, it’s even better.”
This is Sonny’s second time at the World Team Cup – he also represented Australia at the tournament last year.
His mother, Emma, said the call-up to the inaugural standalone event had been exciting.
“It’s an honour like nothing else to represent your country,” Emma said. “He had the best time last year, which was his first time playing an international tournament, and made friends from all over the world.”
Emma said watching Sonny in finals – this is his third singles final of the year, following appearances at a UK tournament and the Melbourne Classic in April – never gets any easier.
“It’s exciting, nerve-wracking, stressful, and everything in between to watch him in these moments,” she said. “I try very hard to keep a poker face so I don’t distract him, but obviously can’t help but cheer when he hits an incredible shot!”
She described the tight-knit support network around the Australian junior team as invaluable.
“The Australian junior team are all such great mates and they support each other so well. They understand the pressure better than anyone else, so when there have been tough matches, they turn to each other,” Emma said.
“It’s a bit like a family and we are so grateful Sonny has such incredible support around him.”
The demands of elite junior sport are considerable. Sonny trains five days a week, competes interstate every school holidays, and has already travelled to the UK and Belgium this year, with the prospect of further international trips to come. He also has to manage his schoolwork around his schedule.
Emma said the journey had brought the family opportunities they never anticipated.
“The tennis has given us all opportunities we would never have dreamt of – the travel, seeing Sonny present to large audiences about wheelchair sports, going on stage with his mates at Dylan Alcott’s Ability Fest, training with his wheelchair tennis heroes, watching his friends compete at the Australian Open,” she said. “There are just too many things to mention!”
Australian team captain, Greg Crump, said the tournament offered important development opportunities both on and off the court.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for all the players to work as a team. Tennis is an individual sport, but getting players to work together, look out for each other and build relationships with other countries is a wonderful experience,” Crump said.
“This team has been around for quite a few years now, so we’re looking to go deep into the tournament. Where we finish is where we finish, but I think we’ve got a really competitive opportunity for 2026 in Belgium.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 2 June 2026
