Greek City Times
Tennis Star Andriana Petrakis Awarded $10k Young Achiever Woman of the Year Scholarship
Rising tennis star Andriana Petrakis has been awarded a $10k scholarship from The Advertiser Foundation at the prestigious Woman of the Year Awards.
Now ranked number five internationally and number two in Australia in the women’s singles People with an Intellectual Impairment category, Petrakis continues to break barriers in the world of tennis.
At the 2025 Advertiser Sunday Mail SkyCity Woman of the Year Awards, Petrakis received the Young Achiever Scholarship, which will support her education and tennis career.
Expressing her gratitude, Petrakis shared, “I feel so privileged about this because what it means to me is that my dedication, determination, hard work, and commitment have paid off. I keep a positive attitude and never give up on my tennis career.”
Petrakis began her tennis journey at the age of nine. Due to financial constraints, her parents couldn’t afford occupational therapy for her disability, so they turned to tennis to help her build hand-eye coordination, movement, and social skills.
Now, over a decade later, Petrakis represented Australia at the 2023 Virtus Global Games, the world’s largest elite sports event for athletes with intellectual disabilities. She was also awarded Tennis SA’s Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability in 2023.
Alongside her sporting achievements, Petrakis is a fierce disability advocate. She works as an assistant coach with Tennis SA’s Pathway Program, where she mentors other athletes with disabilities.
The scholarship was nominated multiple times by the public, with supporters hoping the funds would help Petrakis “achieve all her dreams” and reach her goal of becoming the world number one in tennis.
Petrakis, humbled by the recognition, said, “I feel very proud, grateful, and honoured to make a huge difference to others in the community.”
“I’ve been encouraging others to play tennis…if some of those people with disabilities want to have a go at playing tennis one day, it would be an awesome experience. Let’s work together as a team, stay strong, stay happy, spread kindness, love your families, and keep following your dreams.”
This post Tennis Star Andriana Petrakis Awarded $10k Young Achiever Woman of the Year Scholarship first appeared on Greek City Times and is written by Bill Giannopoulos