The latest Awesome Ottawa award goes to Asiya Hilowle and Madina Hilowle to support inclusive tennis for girls and women.

We’re taking Queen of the Court to the turf,” says Madina. “For the last few years, we’ve been building a community in Ottawa that is obsessed with basketball, but more importantly, obsessed with showing up for each other. We’ve seen firsthand how a court can become a home base for women and youth who don't always feel like they ‘fit’ the traditional sports mold. Now, we want to bring that same energy to tennis.”

“Tennis in this city can feel really gatekept,” she continues. “it’s expensive, the gear is a huge up-front cost, and if you didn't grow up in a ‘tennis family,’ it’s intimidating to walk onto a court alone. We want to dismantle that barrier.”

“Our ‘Tennis Takeover,’ she explains, is a four-week pilot program designed to get 20 girls and women in Ottawa onto public courts. We aren't just teaching a backhand; we’re providing every single piece of equipment they need – racquets, balls, court time – so the only thing they have to do is show up in their sneakers. By taking over public park space, we’re making the sport visible, accessible, and inclusive for our community. We’ve already proven we can do this on the basketball court; now we’re just trading the hoop for a net and keeping that same grassroots, high-energy vibe.”

Asiya and Madina started Queen of the Court in 2013 “because we just wanted a safe, comfortable place to play,” says Madina. “What began as a small circle for Muslim and BIPOC women to get on the court without judgment has grown into a full-blown community. We now run drop-ins twice a week, summer leagues, and huge yearly tournaments – we even take the crew on annual camping trips. This tennis pilot is our next chapter: taking that same mission of "claiming space" and applying it to a sport that’s felt out of reach for far too long.”