Tennis: Jayden Budda-Deen and Ben Goodwin help NSW to National Indigenous Tennis Carnival win

Fast forward two years, and the 16-year-olds have become national champions in the sport.

The pair, who both board at Farrer during the school year, represented NSW at the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival (NITC) in Darwin last month, where they helped the team to a first-place finish.

"When they were announcing the winners, they went through second and third, and we thought 'It has to be us then'," Goodwin said.

"That was a bit unbelievable."

Budda-Deen is a part of the local Gamilaroi mob, while Goodwin hails from the Darug people through his mother, who are based in Sydney's west.

Both lads spent their childhoods in Inverell, and took up tennis as children. Remarkably, they became members of the NITC-winning team with minimal formal coaching. And to take part in a tournament which celebrated their Indigenous heritage was even sweeter.

"It made it feel more special from a cultural perspective," Goodwin said.

"They put on a couple of cultural events, like painting, spear-throwing, and dancing. That felt special to be a part of."

The Year 10 students grew up learning about their cultural history from their parents, and their interest in the topic has grown since being at Farrer.

"I went to a program last year in Tamworth about culture, and learned a lot through them," Budda-Deen said.

"I've continued down the path, sharing and learning more."

It was the pair's second time playing in the NITC, where they debuted for NSW in 2022, having earned selection off the back of a tournament in Sydney earlier in the year.

During their time in Darwin, both boys played well in their roughly seven or eight games each, but said they each fought through some tough patches on court as well.

One of the highlights, they said, was meeting Australian sporting legend, Evonne Goolagong Cawley at the tournament.

"She was a bit busier this year, but I had a good chat with her last year," Budda-Deen said.

But their best moment, on which they both agreed, took place during a game where the boys played together in doubles (a format in which they remain unbeaten as a team).

"We needed two more points to win," Goodwin said.

"They served one over, and Jayden dives in with this massive swing, and the ball goes straight over [the net], between both of them. It was fast as.

"Then he goes 'You give it a try'. They serve to me next, and I do the exact same thing, and that was game, set, match."

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