As he turns 99, this Young tennis ace courts his Oz Open dream

Henry Young — the 98-year-old behind the ‘Clash of the Centurions’ match — edges one year closer to a century on Monday, with his dream of playing the Australian Open just months away.

Henry Young with national juniors champion Michael Smith; and right, Leonid Stanislavskyi. Picture: Roy Van Der Vegt

Adelaide tennis legend Henry Young — the 98-year-old behind the “Clash of the Centurions” match with fellow nonagenarian Ukrainian Leonid Stanislavskyi — edges one year closer to a century on Monday, with his dream of playing the Australian Open just months away.

Young will spend this weekend doing what he still does four times a week — playing tennis with his mates before celebrating his 99th birthday with wife Madge, their three children, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

But his thoughts remain on the other side of the world with his new Ukrainian friend, Stanislavskyi, the 98-year-old who is listed, technically incorrectly, in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest tennis player. Young told The Australian he had nothing but admiration for Stanislavskyi, six months his junior, who also plays tennis weekly — even playing against Rafael Nadal — and who famously refused to leave his home city of Kharkiv when the Russian bombings started.

Rather than robbing him of his world record, Young has issued Stanislavskyi with a video challenge to play a match on neutral territory as a fundraiser for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

The two men are now in contact, with Stanislavskyi enthusiastically accepting the challenge, and plans are now afoot for the pair to face off in a curtain-raiser at next year’s Australian Open in Melbourne.

The Weekend Australian caught up with Young at his beloved courts at Adelaide’s Memorial Drive, where he was practising with current state under 14 champion Michael Smith, whose grandfather, Peter, coached Lleyton Hewitt.

Young said he attributed his longevity to a combination of genetic good luck and sustained activity.

Leonid Stanislavskyi.

He still plays four times a week — Wednesdays and Saturdays at Memorial Drive, Tuesdays at the seniors courts and an hour’s training with his coach each Sunday.

“You can just sit and vegetate or you can keep on going,” he says.

Young is also hoping for a Geelong win in today’s AFL grand final in honour of his uncle, after whom he is named, Henry “Tracker” Young, who captained the club from 1901 to 1909.

One of the first inductees into the AFL Hall of Fame, Tracker Young was a fitness fanatic who would run 30km along the beaches of Corio Bay to the game, ruck for four quarters, then run 30km home.

He died tragically in 1923 at the age of 49, when he had a heart attack while doing laps at the Geelong Swimming Baths.

“My uncle is my role model in so many ways,” Young says. “He was a very active man, even though he died so young. I have been lucky, I guess. You need a bit of luck in life.”

Young had a heart attack himself five years ago while having his weekly lunch with mates at Adelaide’s Military and Naval Club.

“It was a good place to have a heart attack, with good food, good wine and friends,” Young says.

“My heart just slowed down but they put a pacemaker in and I have been fine ever since. I have to get it adjusted in 12 years’ time. I must make a note of that.”