Tim's a Newcombe Medal marvel

Tim Gould’s tennis career scaled new heights when he joined the likes of Ash Barty in receiving a 2021 Newcombe Medal.

The North Lakes resident’s medal was for being named Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability in Queensland at the Australian Tennis Awards.

It is the ultimate award in Australian tennis and followed Gould’s victory at the Australian Open PWII (People With Intellectual Impairment) Division Two for those with Down’s Syndrome.

He won through two rounds before beating Timothy Walsh, from NSW, 6-1 6-2 in the final. He was also part of Team (Wally) Masur which came first.

“I was very happy to win,” said Gould, who plays at Matchpoint in North Lakes, “I was happy with how I played and excited. All sorts of people came over to shake my hand.”

That included former world number one and twice US Open winner Pat Rafter and former Wimbledon and French Open doubles winner Alicia Molik, who is now a TV commentator.

Current Wimbledon, Australian Open and world number one Ash Barty also waves and chats with Gould when they are both on practice courts.

The Newcombe Medal will sit alongside Gould’s gold medal from the 2019 INAS World Games in Brisbane which made him the world’s top player with Down’s Syndrome.

Now his sights are set on representing Queensland in the 2022 Special Olympics Australia National Games in Tasmania in April.

Gould also hopes to be selected for the Australian tennis team at the Oceania Games, being held in Brisbane in November.

The former Ningi resident, who works full time at Arethusa College in Deception Bay, is currently concentrating on Tennis rather than swimming.

“Swimming is more for fitness now,” he said, after a medal-laden career in the pool which included a gold medal at the Abu Dhabi World Games in 2019.

One of Gould’s targets for 2022 is to get into coaching.