![Shellharbour's Ellen Perez (left) pictured with her doubles partner for Paris Daria Saville. Picture - Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images Shellharbour's Ellen Perez (left) pictured with her doubles partner for Paris Daria Saville. Picture - Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/181794477/1bc73920-c4d8-4352-ba03-3b03b8cbaab9.jpg/r0_267_6322_3821_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Shellharbour's Ellen Perez will be one of nine Australian tennis players heading to the Paris Olympic Games.
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It will be a second Olympics appearance for the 28-year-old, where she will partner with Daria Saville in the women's doubles.
Perez was named in the squad on Wednesday, June 26, which will be captained by Aussie tennis legends Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur.
Perez made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where she partnered with Stosur, reaching the quarter finals.
In the Aussie mens team, current world number nine Alex de Minaur will make his long-awaited Olympic debut after being ruled out of Tokyo 2020 due to COVID, joined by fellow Olympic debutants Matt Ebden, Alexei Popyrin, Chris O'Connell and Rinky Hijikata.
John Peers will contest his third Olympics, equalling the second most Olympic appearances for an Australian men's tennis player.
Career-high ranking
Perez, with partner Nicole Melichar-Martinez, has a 24-15 win-loss record for the 2024 season.
At the most recent Grand Slam, seeded at 2 Perez made it to the round of 32 before a shock straight sets loss had them tumbling out of the French Open.
Perez reached her fourth WTA 1000 final at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships with Martinez before losing to fourth seeds Storm Hunter and Kateina Siniakov.
It helped push her to a new career-high ranking of world No.7 in April 2024.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley congratulated the Australian tennis team on their selection.
"Congratulations to our team named for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games next month," Mr Tiley said.
"Five players will make their debut, including Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Chris O'Connell, Rinky Hijikata and our world No.1 doubles player Matt Ebden.
"Our most recent Olympic medallist John Peers will appear in his third Games when he teams up with Ebden in the men's doubles.
"Ajla Tomljanovic, world No.9 doubles player Ellen Perez and Daria Saville will compete in their second Olympics.
"We wish the team, led by captains, five-time Olympian Sam Stosur and three-time Olympian Lleyton Hewitt, the very best in Paris and look forward to following all their success."
Roland Garros will host the tennis competition at Paris 2024, marking only the second time in Olympic history that the tournament will be played on clay, the first being Barcelona 1992. The tennis competition at the Games will run from Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, August 4.