Sam Groth Explained

Samuel Groth (born 19 October 1987) is an Australian politician and professional tennis player. He was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Nepean in 2022 representing the Victorian Liberal Party until his retirement from Parliament in February 2026, causing a by-election.Prior to his resignation from Parliament he had served Deputy Leader of the state Liberal Party between 27 December 2024 and 28 January 2026.

His highest ATP singles ranking was World No. 53, which he reached in August 2015. His career high in doubles was World No. 24, reached in February 2015. Groth's best singles result was a semi-final appearance at the 2014 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

He holds the record for the world's fastest serve at 263 km/h (163.4 mph), which he hit in 2012 at the ATP Challenger in Busan.

Prior to his political career, he worked for the Nine Network's tennis broadcasts, and as a host on Postcards.

Tennis career

Juniors

Groth and Andrew Kennaugh of Great Britain made it to the finals of the 2005 Wimbledon boys' doubles championship, coming runners up to Jesse Levine and Michael Shabaz 6–4, 6–1.^[3]

2007–2013: Fastest serve on record

In 2007, Groth beat compatriot Mark Philippoussis; subsequently, Philippoussis focused on the senior's tour. Groth qualified for the ATP event in Nottingham where he defeated Britain's Jamie Baker 7–6, 6–3 in the first round. He lost his second round match to seeded Gilles Simon 7–6^(7–1), 4–6, 4–6.

At the 2009 Australian Open he set a record for the fastest serve by a male player (232 km/h). He lost in the qualification to Wimbledon 2009 to Jesse Levine 4–6, 7–6, 5–7.^[4]

In 2012, during an ATP Challenger in Busan, Groth hit the fastest serve on record with a 163.4mph ace, but lost the match to Uładzimir Ihnatsik, 4–6, 3–6.^[5]

In November 2013, he reached the final of the Champaign Challenger, eventually losing in 3 sets to Tennys Sandgren 6–3, 3–6, 6–7. However, by reaching the final there, and the semi-final of Dunlop World Challenge the following week, his ranking improved to a career high of no.173.

2014

In 2014, Groth was awarded a wildcard into the main draw at the Brisbane International, where he made his first ATP World Tour quarterfinal appearance.

On 8 January, Groth was awarded a wildcard into the main draw at the Australian Open,^[6] albeit lost in the first round to 28th seed, Vasek Pospisil in straight sets.

In March, Groth qualified for the Indian Wells Masters, although, his journey in the tournament didn't last long as he lost in the first round to Mikhail Kukushkin, [4–7] in the third set tie-break.

On 17 March, Groth entered and won the Rimouski Challenger in Canada. This was his first Challenger tour title. Two weeks later, he made the final of the León Challenger, but lost to no.1 seed, Rajeev Ram. This success shot him up to a new career high world ranking of 136.

At the French Open, Groth made it to the last round of qualifying, but lost to Simone Bolelli 4–6, 2–6. This was his best French Open result to date. He partnered Andrey Golubev in the Men's doubles, where they made it to the semifinal. This increased his doubles ranking to a career high of no.41. In June, Groth made the final of the Nottingham Challenge but lost to compatriot Nick Kyrgios 6–7^(3–7), 6–7^(7–9). Groth made his Wimbledon debut after winning his way through qualifying, but lost in the first round to Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets.

In July, Groth entered the Hall of Fame Open, where he reached his maiden ATP semi-final, defeating defending champion Nicolas Mahut in the quarterfinal. This achievement saw him break into the top 100 rankings for the first time in his career.^[7]

In August, Groth won his first Grand Slam match, defeating Albert Ramos Viñolas 6–3, 7–6^(7–5), 6–3 in the US Open. In the second round, he was defeated by Roger Federer in straight sets 4–6, 4–6, 4–6.

2015

Groth started the 2015 season at the 2015 Brisbane International, where he was awarded a wildcard into the main draw. He defeated defending champion and compatriot Lleyton Hewitt in the first round, and then Łukasz Kubot in the second round before losing to eventual finalist Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals 6–7^(5–7), 6–3, 6–7^(2–7).At the Australian Open, Groth defeated Filip Krajinović in the first round, compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round before losing to another compatriot Bernard Tomic in the third round. This was his best grand slam performance to date. In February, Groth headed to North America and lost in the second round of the Memphis Open to eventual runner-up Kevin Anderson. Groth lost in the first round of the Delray Beach Open, Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Indian Wells and the Miami Open. He then played the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships and defeated Víctor Estrella Burgos in the first round. He then played top seed Feliciano López in the second round where he lost in straight sets.

Groth then played at the Santaizi Challenger as the 2nd seed. He cruised through to the final where he defeated Konstantin Kravchuk to win the title. His next tournament was the Busan Open where he was again the 2nd seed. He defeated compatriot Alex Bolt in the first round but then lost to Franko Škugor. At the French Open, Groth led 21st seed Pablo Cuevas by a set in the first round, before being run down in 4 sets.Groth started his grass court season at the Manchester Challenger where he reached the final and defeated compatriot Luke Saville to win the title. He then competed at the ATP Mercedes Cup where he defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round. He then scored his first top 20 win by defeating world number 12 Feliciano López to reach the quarterfinal. At Wimbledon, Groth defeated 31st seed Jack Sock in the round of 128, compatriot James Duckworth in the round 64^[8] to set up a third round match against Roger Federer.

In this 3rd round match, he made the second fastest serve ever at the Wimbledon tournament (147 mph), and was the only player to take a set off of Federer in until the final, losing to the 7-time champion 4–6, 4–6, 7–6^(7–5), 2–6. Groth then represented Australia at the Davis Cup in the quarterfinal. Australia was down 2–0 to Kazakhstan when Groth played the doubles rubber with Lleyton Hewitt. The pair won in straight sets to take the tie to 2–1. Groth then replaced Nick Kyrgios to play Mikhail Kukushkin where he defeated him in 4 sets to level the tie at 2–2. Hewitt then won the 5th rubber to ensure Australia a place in the Davis Cup semi-finals with a come from behind win.Groth next contested the Bogotá Open as the 6th seed where he defeated Guido Pella before losing to former world number 8 Radek Štěpánek in straight sets. He then played at the Atlanta Open and defeated Frances Tiafoe in the first round. He then lost to eventual finalist and fifth seed Marcos Baghdatis in 3 sets. Groth then competed at the Citi Open, where he reached his first ATP500 Quarterfinal after defeating Thomaz Bellucci, 9th seeded Viktor Troicki and 7th seeded Feliciano López before losing to eventual champion Kei Nishikori. This was also the first time Groth defeated back-to-back top 20 players. Groth next played at the Winston-Salem Open and defeated Jared Donaldson before losing to eventual semi-finalist Steve Johnson. At the US Open, Groth defeated former world number 13 Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round, before losing to 26th seed Tommy Robredo in the second round. Groth also played the Men's doubles with Lleyton Hewitt, bowing out with a loss in the second round.

2016: Loss of form

Groth began 2016 with a wildcard entry into the Brisbane International. He lost to Chung Hyeon in the first round. He also lost in round one at the Sydney International to Federico Delbonis. At the Australian Open, Groth defeated Adrian Mannarino before losing to number 2 seed Andy Murray in the second round. Groth partnered Lleyton Hewitt in the men's doubles at the Australian Open, making it to the third round. Groth played for Australia in Davis Cup losing his singles match to John Isner in straight sets. He had a first round loss at the first Masters 1000 of the year at Indian Wells to Leonardo Mayer. Groth then defeated Víctor Estrella Burgos at the Miami Open before going down to Dominic Thiem in the second round. At the French Open, Groth lost in round 1 to 9-time champion Rafael Nadal. At Wimbledon, Groth lost in the first round to Kei Nishikori. Groth had a last-minute call-up to represent Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, albeit losing to Belgium's David Goffin in the first round. Groth played across North America with limited success on the ATP singles World Tour, although the misery was short-lived as he won his second doubles title in Newport before returning to the Challenger Circuit, winning his 4th singles title in Las Vegas. Groth ended the 2016 season as the world no.185 rank.

2017

Groth began 2017 with a wildcard into the 2017 Brisbane International, where he defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert before losing to Dominic Thiem in the second round. Groth reached the quarterfinal of the 2017 Canberra Challenger, losing to eventual champion Dudi Sela. Groth lost in the first round of 2017 Australian Open to Steve Darcis, before pairing up with Chris Guccione to reach the quarterfinal of the doubles, losing to eventual champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers.In February, Groth was selected to play in the first round of the 2017 Davis Cup against the Czech Republic, he paired with John Peers to win the doubles and taking Australia to a whitewash victory of 3–0. Groth toured to North America, beginning by losing qualifying in the singles for Indian Wells Masters, then at the Drummondville Challenger he also lost qualifying in the singles, before going onto win the doubles at Drummondville. In June, Groth made the semi-final of Ilkley Trophy.

2018: Retirement

The 2018 Australian Open turned out to be Groth's last tournament before his retirement. He lost in his singles quarterfinal match to Taylor Fritz. He paired with former world no. 1 compatriot Lleyton Hewitt in doubles, where they reached the quarterfinals. He also paired with compatriot Samantha Stosur in the mixed doubles.^[9]

ATP career finals

Doubles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Legend Grand Slam tournaments (0–0) ATP World Tour Finals (0–0) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–0) ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–1) ATP World Tour 250 Series (2–2)

Titles by surface Hard (1–3) Clay (0–0) Grass (1–0)

Titles by setting Outdoor (2–2) Indoor (0–1)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0		Colombia Open, Colombia	250 Series	Hard	Chris Guccione	Nicolás Barrientos Juan Sebastián Cabal	7–6(7–5), 6–7(3–7), [11–9]
Loss	1–1		Washington Open, United States	500 Series	Hard	Leander Paes	Jean-Julien Rojer Horia Tecău	5–7, 4–6
Loss	1–2		Shenzhen Open, China	250 Series	Hard	Chris Guccione	Jean-Julien Rojer Horia Tecău	4–6, 6–7(4–7)
Loss	1–3		Kremlin Cup, Russia	250 Series	Hard (i)	Chris Guccione	František Čermák Jiří Veselý	6–7(2–7), 5–7
Win	2–3		Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, United States	250 Series	Grass	Chris Guccione	Jonathan Marray Adil Shamasdin	6–4, 6–3

ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals

Singles: 22 (11–11)

Legend ATP Challenger (4–6) ITF Futures (7–5)

Finals by surface Hard (7–8) Clay (1–1) Grass (2–2) Carpet (1–0)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1		Australia F12, Mildura	Futures	Grass	Alun Jones	6–3, 5–7, 4–6
Loss	0–2		Australia F7, Gloucester	Futures	Clay	Miles Armstrong	7–6(8–6), 1–6, 3–6
Win	1–2		USA F7, Mobile	Futures	Hard	Jesse Witten	6–2, 3–0 ret.
Loss	1–3		Fergana, Uzbekistan	Challenger	Hard	Lukáš Lacko	6–4, 5–7, 6–7(4–7)
Win	2–3		Turkey F9, Antalya	Futures	Hard	Radu Albot	6–3, 6–1
Win	3–3		Turkey F10, Antalya	Futures	Hard	Artem Smirnov	6–4, 6–2
Loss	3–4		Australia F12, Traralgon	Futures	Hard	Amir Weintraub	2–6, 4–6
Win	4–4		Australia F13, Bendigo	Futures	Hard	Benjamin Mitchell	7–6(9–7), 6–4
Loss	4–5		Burnie, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Danai Udomchoke	6–7(5–7), 3–6
Win	5–5		Australia F3, Ipswich	Futures	Clay	Jason Kubler	5–7, 6–3, 6–2
Win	6–5		Korea F1, Daegu	Futures	Hard	Frederik Nielsen	6–7(4–7), 6–4, 6–1
Loss	6–6		Korea F2, Changwon	Futures	Hard	Michał Przysiężny	6–3, 5–7, 3–6
Loss	6–7		Australia F6, Alice Springs	Futures	Hard	Matthew Barton	6–7(3–7), 3–6
Win	7–7		Australia F2, Mildura	Futures	Grass	Matthew Barton	6–1, 6–4
Loss	7–8		Champaign-Urbana, United States	Challenger	Hard	Tennys Sandgren	6–3, 3–6, 6–7(4–7)
Win	8–8		Rimouski, Canada	Challenger	Hard	Ante Pavić	7–6(7–3), 6–2
Loss	8–9		Leon, Mexico	Challenger	Hard	Rajeev Ram	2–6, 2–6
Loss	8–10		Nottingham, United Kingdom	Challenger	Grass	Nick Kyrgios	6–7(3–7), 6–7(7–9)
Loss	8–11		Knoxville, United States	Challenger	Hard	Adrian Mannarino	6–3, 6–7(6–8), 4–6
Win	9–11		Taipei, Taiwan	Challenger	Carpet	Konstantin Kravchuk	6–7(5–7), 6–4, 7–6(7–3)
Win	10–11		Manchester, United Kingdom	Challenger	Grass	Luke Saville	7–5, 6–1
Win	11–11		Las Vegas, United States	Challenger	Hard	Santiago Giraldo	6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–5

Doubles: 40 (30–10)

Legend ATP Challenger (19–5) ITF Futures (11–5)

Finals by surface Hard (21–8) Clay (2–1) Grass (5–1) Carpet (2–0)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0		Australia F11, Barmera	Futures	Grass	Joseph Sirianni	Callum Beale Joel Kerley	6–2, 5–7, [10–4]
Loss	1–1		Great Britain F10, Frinton-on-Sea	Futures	Grass	Andrew Coelho	Andrew Kennaugh Tom Rushby	5–7, 7–6(7–3), 4–6
Loss	1–2		France F12, Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Futures	Hard	Paul Baccanello	Thomas Oger Nicolas Tourte	6–2, 3–6, 4–6
Loss	1–3		Great Britain F6, Sunderland	Futures	Hard	Andrew Coelho	Jamie Baker Aisam Qureshi	3–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win	2–3		Algeria F3, Algiers	Futures	Clay	Edward Seator	Matus Horecny Martin Hromec	6–3, 3–6, 6–1
Win	3–3		Spain F21, Puerto Cruz	Futures	Carpet	Andrew Coelho	Agustin Boje-Ordonez Pablo Martin-Adalia	6–4, 7–6(7–5)
Win	4–3		France F12, Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Futures	Hard	Andrew Coelho	Daniel King-Turner Pierrick Ysern	6–4, 4–6, [10–6]
Win	5–3		Australia F7, Gloucester	Futures	Clay	Joseph Sirianni	Kaden Hensel Adam Hubble	6–4, 6–3
Win	6–3		Burnie, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Joseph Sirianni	Nima Roshan José Statham	6–3, 1–6, [10–4]
Win	7–3		Australia F1, Mildura	Futures	Grass	Nathan Healey	Andrew Coelho Brydan Klein	6–3, 6–4
Win	8–3		Australia F3, Perth	Futures	Hard	Adam Feeney	Matthew Ebden Miles Armstrong	5–7, 6–4, [10–7]
Win	9–3		New Delhi, India	Challenger	Hard	Colin Ebelthite	Mohammad Ghareeb Illya Marchenko	2–6, 7–6(7–5), [10–8]
Win	10–3		Campos do Jordão, Brazil	Challenger	Hard	Josh Goodall	Rogério Dutra Silva Júlio Silva	7–6(7–4), 6–3
Win	11–3		Burnie, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Matthew Ebden	James Lemke Dane Propoggia	6–7(8–10), 7–6(7–4), [10–8]
Win	12–3		Australia F1, Mildura	Futures	Grass	Matthew Ebden	Adam Hubble Sadik Kadir	6–3, 4–6, [10–4]
Win	13–3		Australia F2, Berri	Futures	Grass	Matthew Ebden	Huang Liang-chi Lee Hsin-han	6–3, 7–6(9–7)
Loss	13–4		Australia F12, Traralgon	Futures	Hard	Sebastian Rieschick	Colin Ebelthite Adam Feeney	3–6, 6–4, [13–15]
Win	14–4		Caloundra, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Matthew Ebden	Pavol Červenák Ivo Klec	6–3, 3–6, [10–1]
Loss	14–5		Pingguo, China	Challenger	Hard	Colin Ebelthite	John Paul Fruttero Raven Klaasen	2–6, 4–6
Win	15–5		Korea F1, Daegu	Futures	Hard	Adam Hubble	Hong Chung Suk-Young Jeong	6–1, 6–4
Loss	15–6		Wuhan, China	Challenger	Hard	Adam Feeney	Sonchat Ratiwatana Sanchai Ratiwatana	4–6, 6–2, [8–10]
Loss	15–7		Australia F6, Alice Springs	Futures	Hard	Michael Venus	Adam Feeney Nick Lindahl	6–4, 2–6, [8–10]
Win	16–7		Nouméa, New Caledonia	Challenger	Hard	Toshihide Matsui	Artem Sitak José Statham	7–6(8–6), 1–6, [10–4]
Win	17–7		West Lakes, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Matt Reid	James Duckworth Greg Jones	6–2, 6–4
Win	18–7		Australia F2, Mildura	Futures	Grass	John-Patrick Smith	Colin Ebelthite Ruan Roelofse	6–3, 6–4
Win	19–7		Rimouski, Canada	Challenger	Hard	John-Patrick Smith	Philipp Marx Florin Mergea	7–6(7–5), 7–6(9–7)
Loss	19–8		Guadalajara, Mexico	Challenger	Hard	John-Patrick Smith	Marin Draganja Mate Pavić	7–5, 2–6, [11–13]
Loss	19–9		Anning, China	Challenger	Clay	John-Patrick Smith	Victor Baluda Dino Marcan	7–6(7–5), 4–6, [7–10]
Win	20–9		Kunming, China	Challenger	Hard	John-Patrick Smith	Yasutaka Uchiyama Go Soeda	6–4, 6–1
Win	21–9		Knoxville, United States	Challenger	Hard	John-Patrick Smith	Carsten Ball Peter Polansky	6–7(6–8), 6–2, [10–7]
Win	22–9		Dallas, United States	Challenger	Hard	Chris Guccione	Ryan Harrison Mark Knowles	6–4, 6–2
Win	23–9		Leon, Mexico	Challenger	Hard	Chris Guccione	Marcus Daniell Artem Sitak	6–3, 6–4
Win	24–9		Shenzhen, China	Challenger	Hard	Chris Guccione	Dominik Meffert Tim Pütz	6–3, 7–6(7–5)
Win	25–9		Taipei, Taiwan	Challenger	Carpet	Chris Guccione	Austin Krajicek John-Patrick Smith	6–4, 5–7, [10–8]
Win	26–9		Gimcheon, South Korea	Challenger	Hard	Chris Guccione	Austin Krajicek John-Patrick Smith	6–7(5–7), 5–7, [10–4]
Loss	26–10		Leon, Mexico	Challenger	Hard	Leander Paes	Santiago González Mate Pavić	4–6, 6–3, [11–13]
Win	27–10		Busan, South Korea	Challenger	Hard	Leander Paes	Sonchat Ratiwatana Sanchai Ratiwatana	4–6, 6–1, [10–7]
Win	28–10		Stockton, United States	Challenger	Hard	Brian Baker	Matt Reid John-Patrick Smith	6–2, 4–6, [10–2]
Win	29–10		Charlottesville, United States	Challenger	Hard	Brian Baker	Brydan Klein Ruan Roelofse	6–3, 6–3
Win	30–10		Drummondville, Canada	Challenger	Hard	Adil Shamasdin	Matt Reid John-Patrick Smith	6–2, 2–6, [10–8]

Junior Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Performance timelines

Singles

Tournament	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	SR	W–L	Win %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open	A	A	Q2	1R	Q1	Q1	A	Q1	1R	3R	2R	1R	Q1	0 / 5	3–5
French Open	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	Q1	Q3	1R	1R	Q1	A	0 / 2	0–2
Wimbledon	A	A	A	Q1	A	A	A	Q2	1R	3R	1R	Q1	A	0 / 3	2–3
US Open	A	A	Q2	Q1	A	A	A	Q1	2R	2R	Q1	Q1	A	0 / 2	2–2
style=text-align:left	Win–loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–3	5–4	1–3	0–1	0–0	0 / 12	7–12
National representation
Summer Olympics	NH	A	Not Held	A	Not Held	1R	NH	0 / 1	0–1
Davis Cup	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	PO	SF	1R	SF	A	0 / 2	2–4
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Indian Wells	A	A	A	A	A	Q1	A	A	1R	1R	1R	Q1	A	0 / 3	0–3
Miami	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	1R	2R	A	A	0 / 2	1–2
Canada Masters	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	Q1	A	A	0 / 0	0–0
Shanghai Masters	Not Held	A	A	A	A	A	1R	A	A	A	A	0 / 1	0–1
style=text-align:left	Win–loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–2	0–2	1–2	0–0	0–0	0 / 6	1–6
Career statistics
Titles / Finals	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0
style=text-align:left	Overall win–loss	0–0	0–0	1–1	1–2	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–3	10–13	19–22	4–16	2–5	0–0	0 / 62	38–62
Year-end ranking	681	341	265	270	293	575	211	183	81	60	181	248	–	$1,950,436

Doubles

Tournament	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	width=38	2016!	2017	2018	SR	W–L
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open	A	A	1R	1R	1R	2R	A	2R	1R	3R	3R	QF	QF	0 / 10	12–10
French Open	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	SF	1R	1R	3R	A	0 / 4	6–4
Wimbledon	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	2R	1R	1R	3R	3R	A	0 / 5	5–5
US Open	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	2R	2R	3R	1R	A	0 / 4	4–4
style=text-align:left	Win–loss	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–1	0–1	1–1	0–0	2–2	5–4	3–4	6–4	7–4	3–1	0 / 23	27–23
National representation
Summer Olympics	NH	A	Not Held	A	Not Held	A	NH	0 / 0	0–0
Davis Cup	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	PO	SF	1R	SF	A	0 / 2	3–3
style=text-align:left	Win–loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–2	1–0	1–1	0–0	0 / 2	3–3
Career statistics
Titles / Finals	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	1 / 4	0 / 0	1 / 1	0 / 0	0 / 0	2 / 5
style=text-align:left	Overall win–loss	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–1	0–1	2–2	0–0	4–3	24–13	8–20	15–9	13–8	3–1	69–59
Year-end ranking	438	296	287	400	223	204	308	79	31	131	49	80		54%

Political career

+	Year(s)	Electorate	Candidates		Votes
2022	Nepean			Sam Groth	74
		David Burgess	33
		Elizabeth Miller	4

On 22 February 2022, Groth won pre-selection for the Liberal Party for the marginal Labor-held electorate of Nepean.^{[10] [11]} Groth told Sky News Australia that part of his motivation for running was frustration with the extent of COVID-related lockdowns in Victoria.^[12] Groth won the three-candidate contest with seventy-four votes (67%), compared with runner-up David Burgess' thirty-three, and former Bentleigh MP Elizabeth Miller with four.^[10] He had the backing of former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, Federal Treasurer at the time, Josh Frydenberg, state MP for Brighton James Newbury and former Nepean MP Martin Dixon.^[13]

2022 Victorian election

+	Years	Electorate	Term
2022–2026	Nepean			60th

Speaking before the election, Groth stated of his possibility to win the seat: "It's been extremely positive. I'm confident, if we are to have any chance tonight of the Liberal Party and the Coalition getting into government in this state, Nepean is the one that has to turn."^[14]

Groth claimed victory in Nepean on the night of the election with a two-party swing of 7.1% in his favour.^{[14] [15]} After the election, Groth was appointed Shadow Minister for Youth and Shadow Minister for Tourism, Sport and Events in the Pesutto shadow ministry.^[16]

In 2023, as a member of Shadow Cabinet, Groth supported leader John Pesutto in voting to expel Moira Deeming from the Parliamentary Liberal Party.^[17]

Deputy Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party

Groth resigned from the Pesutto shadow cabinet on 13 December 2024, following Pesutto's loss in a defamation case brought by Moira Deeming, stating: "In good conscience, I can no longer continue to serve in this role".^[18] This move was criticised by some moderate members of the party.^[19]

On 27 December 2024, Groth was elected unopposed as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party under new leader Brad Battin as part of a broader spill and change among parliamentary leadership.^[20]

Groth was re-elected as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party under new leader Jess Wilson on 18 November 2025, defeating former Deputy Leader David Southwick in a party room ballot.

Following a subsequent Shadow Cabinet reshuffle, Groth was appointed Shadow Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events and Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment.^[21]

Expenses controversy

Groth came under scrutiny in May 2025 after it was revealed he borrowed Liberal Party colleague Georgie Crozier's chauffeur to drive him to his home in Rye following a fundraising event at the 2024 Australian Open tennis tournament. The Herald Sun newspaper claimed Groth was "smashed" at the event, which Groth denied.^[22] Crozier subsequently stated that Groth "needs to explain his actions."^{[23] [24]}

Groth issued a statement saying he had attended the Australian Open in his capacity as Shadow Minister for Sport, Tourism and Events, meeting with industry stakeholders before attending a fundraiser in the evening.

Additionally, Groth stated he occasionally stays overnight in Melbourne if he has evening events and commitments the next day in the city, given the distance between Melbourne and his electorate of Nepean.

It was also revealed Groth had claimed $1,400 for flights and accommodation to visit South Australia to meet with a South Australian Liberal Party colleague and attend the LIV golf event in Adelaide with his wife. Groth stated that he attended the LIV event in South Australia at the invitation of event organisers to meet with stakeholders, and that any travel for his wife is paid for personally.^{[25] [26]}

Retirement from politics

In January 2026, Groth announced he would not contest the 2026 Victorian state election, stating "The public pressure placed on my family in recent months has been significant and realising that some of it came from within my own party has been difficult to ignore”.^[27]

On 28 January 2026, Groth was replaced by David Southwick as deputy leader of the Victorian Liberal Party in a ballot against Chris Crewther.^[28] On 4 February 2026, Groth announced his resignation from Parliament, causing a by-election in his seat of Nepean.^[29]

On 4 February, Groth followed with another announcement stating he will resign from the Parliament of Victoria in the coming week, triggering a by-election in his seat of Nepean, which will be held months away from the 2026 Victorian state election.^[30]

Personal life

Groth was born in Narrandera, New South Wales, and grew up in the Riverina area of southern New South Wales. Groth is an avid supporter of the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League.^[2] He was also a member of Vermont Football Club reserve squad during a hiatus from tennis in 2011.^[31]

In January 2019, Groth received the OLY post-nominal title at the Brisbane International tournament.^[32]

Between 2009 and 2011, Groth was married to Slovakian-Australian tennis player Jarmila Wolfe.^[33]

Groth married partner Brittany Boys in 2018. Boys, a Melburnian, was an amateur women's tennis player and competed at the university level for the University of Richmond in the United States.^[34] Groth and Boys have two children, twin boys born in April 2021.^{[35] [36]}

In 2025, in articles subsequently removed from the Herald Sun website and social media accounts, the newspaper alleged that Boys and Groth started their relationship after meeting at a Templestowe tennis club in 2011 while Groth was either 23 or 24 and Boys was 16 or 17 and under his supervision as a tennis coach.^[37] The paper claimed "concerns had been raised within the Liberal Party because Mr Groth was in his mid-20s and Ms Groth may have been under 18 at the time."^{[38] [39]} Melbourne’s other major newspaper, The Age, reported that there was a suggestion that "the allegations about his personal life had been fanned by MPs within his own party.^[37]

Subsequently, the Groths each released a statement condemning the Herald Suns coverage and sued the newspaper for defamation.^[40]

In November 2025, the Herald Sun published an apology to Groth and his wife as part of the settlement of the lawsuit^[41] which The Age newspaper reported was part of a confidential agreement worth "hundreds of thousands of dollars".^[42] It was later reported that the Herald-Suns defence claimed "an unnamed Liberal MP had been central to the story."^[43]

Groth lives with his family in Rye, Victoria.^[44]

Notes and References

1. News: Tennis stars honoured with OLY. World Olympians Association. 1 January 2019. 9 August 2021. 9 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210809021059/https://olympians.org/news/1239/tennis-stars-honoured-with-oly/. live.
2. Web site: Sam Groth. tennis.com.au. Tennis Australia. 30 May 2015. 14 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150514044700/http://www.tennis.com.au/player-profiles/sam-groth. live.
3. Web site: "University of Miami Online High School Student Wins Junior Doubles at Wimbledon," ereleases.com, 12 July 2005, Retrieved 15 July 2009 . 14 July 2009 . 27 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110527164927/http://www.ereleases.com/pr/university-of-miami-online-high-school-student-wins-junior-doubles-at-wimbledon-5679 . live .
4. Web site: USTA: Find a Tennis Tournament & Play Tennis Near You. https://archive.today/20130105030850/http://www.usatennisflorida.usta.com/Florida/Global/News/News/2009_06/Levine_Wimbledon.aspx. dead. 5 January 2013.
5. News: Aussie smashes tennis serve speed record . The Sydney Morning Herald . 13 May 2012 . 13 May 2012 . 17 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117205350/http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/aussie-smashes-tennis-serve-speed-record-20120513-1ykfk.html . live .
6. News: Eight Aussie wildcards announced for Australian Open. ABC News. 7 January 2014. 1 November 2016. 8 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20161101014519/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-08/eight-aussie-wildcards-announced-for-australian-open/5190168. live.
7. News: GROTH UPSETS DEFENDING CHAMPION IN NEWPORT, MEETS KARLOVIC IN SFS. ATP World Tour. 11 July 2014. 10 July 2014. 12 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140712034547/http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/07/28/Newport-Thursday-Mahut-Groth-Karlovic.aspx. live.
8. News: Wimbledon: Sam Groth beats James Duckworth, Casey Dellacqua beats Elina Svitolina. ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 July 2015. 3 July 2015.
9. News: Sam Groth plays his last singles match in loss to Taylor Fritz in Australian Open qualifying. News.com.au. 10 January 2018. 3 May 2018. Schlink. Leo.
10. News: Sakkal . Paul . 22 February 2022 . Tennis player turned commentator Sam Groth wins Liberal candidacy . The Age .
11. News: Sakkal . Paul . Morgan . Cassandra . 14 December 2021 . Tennis player Sam Groth weighs up running as Liberal in state election . .
12. News: 23 February 2022 . Former tennis star wins Liberal preselection . . 23 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220223071846/https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/former-tennis-star-wins-liberal-preselection/video/9f3a102a6c4479d616b69a1185d2c362 . live .
13. News: Brook . Stephen . Hutchinson . Samantha . 22 February 2022 . Sam Groth hopes to ace Nepean preselection . The Age .
14. News: Sciberras . Allanah . 26 November 2022 . Former tennis star Sam Groth wins Nepean in Victoria election . . 27 November 2022 . 26 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221126210413/https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-election-2022--sam-groth-favoured-to-win-nepean/620a61f7-a2c6-4c92-b95d-389f902c7971 . live .
15. News: 26 November 2022 . Sky News Australia calls a Liberal gain for Nepean . Sky News Australia . 27 November 2022 .
16. Web site: A renewed Liberals and Nationals team putting Victorians first. Liberal Victoria. 19 December 2022. 27 December 2022.
17. News: 11 January 2025 . 'Moira is gone': Victorian Liberals expel controversial MP . . 12 May 2023 . Gus . McCubbing . Durkin . Patrick . https://archive.today/20230512073832/https://www.afr.com/politics/moira-is-gone-victorian-liberals-expel-controversial-mp-20230512-p5d7ym . 12 May 2023 . live.
18. Web site: Sky News Australia: Sam Groth resigns from Victorian shadow cabinet after John Pesutto’s refusal to step down following defamation loss .
19. News: Victorian Liberal MP Sam Groth resigns from opposition frontbench, casting shadow on John Pesutto's leadership . 30 December 2024 . 13 December 2024 . 30 December 2024 . live . ABC News . Richard . Willingham . https://web.archive.org/web/20241230091551/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-13/victoria-liberal-party-sam-groth-john-pesutto/104724366.
20. News: . 27 December 2024 . 27 December 2024 . Who is Brad Battin, the new leader of the Victorian Liberal Party? . Judd . Boaz . https://web.archive.org/web/20241227045444/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-27/brad-battin-liberal-party-leader-vic-opposition/104757966 . 27 December 2024 . live . Mr Groth, a former tennis player who was elected as Nepean MP in 2022, will now serve as Mr Battin's deputy..
21. Web site: Our Team - Sam Groth. Liberal Party of Australia (Victorian Division).
22. Web site: 30 May 2025 . Victorian Liberal deputy Sam Groth stares down to calls to quit amid taxpayer-funded drunk ride scandal .
23. News: . 'The entire party is imploding': Groth, Pesutto, Deeming turning Liberal headache into a migraine . 15 August 2025 . live . https://archive.today/20250531043251/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/the-entire-party-is-imploding-groth-pesutto-deeming-turning-a-liberal-headache-into-a-migraine-20250530-p5m3i5.html . subscription . 30 May 2025 . Rachel . Eddie . 31 May 2025.
24. News: Liberal MP Georgie Crozier demands Sam Groth explains why he used her chauffeured car after boozy day at Tennis . 30 May 2025 . 15 August 2025 . subscription . live . Herald Sun . 30 May 2025 . https://archive.today/20250530033548/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/liberal-mp-georgie-crozier-demands-sam-groth-explains-why-he-used-her-chauffeured-car-after-boozy-day-at-tennis/news-story/b9c51dbcf2a40e3704a8c864ac973f6f?amp&nk=8e9ec1ff98ca88512ae0962de8b5dae1-1748576166 . Alex . White . and . Carly . Douglas.
25. Web site: Herald Sun: Sam Groth called out for partying on the public purse with his wife and Bec Judd at an interstate golf tournament .
26. Web site: 30 May 2025 . Deputy Victorian Liberal leader Sam Groth responds to claim he misused taxpayer-funded vehicle during AO .
27. News: Kolovos . Benita . Sam Groth to quit Victorian politics after defamation battle with News Corp and internal party divisions . 4 January 2026 . . 5 January 2026 . live . http://web.archive.org/web/20260104232735/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/05/sam-groth-quit-victorian-politics-liberal-party-ntwnfb . 4 January 2026.
28. News: David Southwick returns as deputy Liberal leader in election year . 28 January 2026 . 27 January 2026 . https://archive.today/20260127230221/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/david-southwick-returns-as-deputy-liberal-leader-in-election-year-20260128-p5nxk3.html . Rachel . Eddie . 28 January 2026 . . live.
29. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/sam-groth-to-exit-parliament-early-and-spark-costly-byelection-20260204-p5nzk1.html
30. Web site: 2026-02-04 . Former tennis ace Sam Groth quits politics early, triggering byelection . 2026-02-04 . www.9news.com.au . en.
31. News: Solid Groth's back on the ball . 21 May 2013 . 8 November 2013 . 11 June 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131108093621/http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/solid-groths-back-on-the-ball-20110805-1ifjj.html . live .
32. Web site: ITF Tennis – ABOUT – Articles – Tennis stars honoured with OLY in Brisbane . www.itftennis.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190106013624/https://www.itftennis.com/news/298681.aspx . 2019-01-06.
33. News: Adopted Australian tennis star hurt by online abuse . 28 January 2026 . 3 September 2011 . live . https://archive.today/20131125013212/http://www.smh.com.au/sport/adopted-australian-tennis-star-hurt-by-online-abuse-20110903-1jr0g.html . Tom . Wald . . 25 November 2013.
34. Web site: 2016–17 Women's Tennis Roster . richmondspiders.com . .
35. Web site: Sam and Brittany Groth Welcome Twin Boys . Scott . Jonathan . 18 April 2021 . tennis.com . 22 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220222075853/https://www.tennis.com/baseline/articles/sam-and-brittany-groth-welcome-twin-boys . live .
36. Web site: Sam and Brittany Groth welcomed their twin boys on Saturday . 11 April 2021 . . 22 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220222075853/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/sam-and-brittany-groth-welcomed-their-twin-boys-on-saturday/news-story/ee17c6915b9b5ccb407e0c68889756b6 . live .
37. News: 5 January 2026 . 5 January 2026 . Sam Groth had the fastest serve, but he couldn't play party politics . Annika . Smethurst . Annika Smethurst . live . https://archive.today/20260105141446/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/sam-groth-had-the-fastest-serve-but-he-couldn-t-play-party-politics-20260105-p5nrpn.html . subscription . .
38. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-15/herald-sun-defends-sam-brittany-groth-defamation-lawsuit/105891364
39. News: Drill . Stephen . Liberal Party courting controversy amid questions about Sam Groth's relationship . 29 July 2025 . . 29 July 2025 . https://archive.today/20250728191754/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/liberal-party-courting-controversy-amid-questions-about-sam-groths-relationship/news-story/2889f0a4c05da657b2f35275069352ab?amp . 28 July 2025 . live . subscription.
40. News: . 15 August 2025 . 30 July 2025 . Liberal deputy Sam Groth to test new privacy laws over 'malicious gossip' . https://archive.today/20250730015325/https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/liberal-deputy-sam-groth-to-test-new-privacy-laws-over-malicious-gossip-20250730-p5mitx.html . 30 July 2025 . subscription . Chip . Le Grand . Chip Le Grand . live.
41. Web site: 18 November 2025 . Herald Sun apologises to Victorian MP Sam Groth after settling defamation case .
42. Web site: 16 November 2025 . Sam and Brittany Groth settle legal battle against Herald Sun .
43. News: . With a new leader and tired opponent, this should be the Victorian Liberals' year – if not for self-inflicted wounds . 10 January 2026 . https://web.archive.org/web/20260128071932/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/10/victorian-liberals-year-ahead-new-leader-jess-wilson?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other . live . 28 January 2026 . 10 January 2026 . Benita . Kolovos.
44. News: Hales . Holly . 15 December 2021 . Former Aussie tennis star Sam Groth weighs up shock career switch . . 6 November 2022 . 26 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221126232216/https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/former-tennis-star-sam-groth-weighing-up-victorian-state-politics-run/news-story/97f74e04354738df4cd304c5f036e537 . live.