Australia's top-ranked tennis player Sam Stosur has won the inaugural Newcombe Medal at the Australian Tennis Awards in Melbourne.
The 26-year-old edged out Lleyton Hewitt, Jarmila Groth and Anastasia Rodionova to be named Australia's most outstanding player for 2010.
"I think it is a great honour," Stosur said. "It is a really good initiative of Tennis Australia to put a night like this together for everyone to celebrate our sport. So to be the first winner of the Newcombe Medal is very special."
"Tennis is such a huge part of our culture in Australia, we've obviously got a great history and we're trying to continue that now."
"You can only have that with clubs around the nation."
"I think for them to get the recognition for doing their best - putting in new courts, updating facilities, and having members and getting people out there playing is fantastic and getting recognition for that will help them strive and do more and do whatever they can."
The world No.6 enjoyed her best ever season, narrowly missing out on a grand slam title when she lost to Francesca Schiavone in the final of the French Open.
Bernard Tomic and Ashleigh Barty won the junior athlete of the year trophies while Peter Luczak was given the Spirit of Tennis Award for his outstanding leadership, passion, sportsmanship, goodwill and dedication to the sport.
Stosur's coach and Australian Fed Cup captain David Taylor was also recognised for his exceptional coaching performance in the sport this year by being awarded the Coaching Excellence, High Performance Award.