Advantage Ladies 2026: Judy Murray comes to Linz

Advantage Ladies enters the next round on Wednesday 8 April 2026 with the FE&MALE Sports Conference and welcomes a real star guest. Scottish tennis coach Judy Murray, mother of Grand Slam champions Andy and Jamie Murray, will be the keynote speaker at this year's FE&MALE Sports Conference as part of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz tennis tournament.

Judy Murray is clear: „One of the key factors in women's career success and overcoming barriers to equality is the presence and commitment of male allies. Of course, I am passionate about women supporting women - but we all know that the world is still male-dominated. It is therefore crucial that men take responsibility side by side with women and actively act as allies. Without them, we cannot achieve equality and fair opportunities for all.“

„I am delighted that Judy will be visiting us in Linz and especially for the FE&MALE Sports Conference. She is an absolute inspiration and a role model in so many areas. With her keynote speech, she will provide important impetus for the discussions at our event,“ says tournament director Sandra Reichel, looking ahead.

The conference brings together people with very different roles and responsibilities in sport; from decision-makers to coaches, operational experts in the field of youth and sports development, media and communication managers to active and former competitive athletes.

Hans Niessl, President of Sport Austria, sees the potential above all: „The FE&MALE Sports Conference, organised by Sport Austria in close cooperation with the RBG Reichel Business Group, is a key format for demonstrating how much potential in sport remains untapped because leadership positions are predominantly one-sided, and creates awareness of how men can take on responsibility as active allies. It provides targeted impetus, makes existing challenges visible and helps to develop concrete solutions.“

2026 in the name of practice

Advantage Ladies is a platform for diversity, equality and dialogue in sport. In cooperation with Sport Austria and RBG Reichel Business Group GmbH, it brings together people who shape sport - on and off the court. While in previous years, the FE&MALE Sports Conference primarily highlighted perspectives and discussed key issues relating to diversity and equality in sport, in 2026 the focus will shift more strongly to exploring these topics in greater depth and putting them into practice.

The programme for the fourth edition of the top-ranked, all-day conference is divided into inspiring keynote speeches and high-level panels in the morning and in-depth workshops in the afternoon, which facilitate exchange, practice and knowledge transfer.

Judy Murray is a committed advocate of gender equality in sport and will speak on the topic of „Male Allies“ in her keynote speech. It is still predominantly men in key positions who decide on resources, funding and the direction of sport - and they need to take more responsibility, listen and act when it comes to equality. 

In the second part of the FE&MALE Sports Conference, in-depth workshops on various topics will ensure even greater sustainability. Participants can attend two of a total of five workshops on the topics of „Coaching & Training“, „Strategy & Structures“, „Media & Communication“, „Research & Science“ and „Respect & Safety“.

The conference day will conclude with a joint visit to the Upper Austria Ladies Linz evening match (ticket included in the price). This provides an opportunity for informal dialogue and sustainable networking in a relaxed atmosphere.

The event will once again be hosted by ORF journalist Alina Zellhofer.

Programme with all details and tickets: https://ladieslinz.at/female-sports-conference/