Sydney tennis coach charged over allegations of sexually assaulting young player

The Active Power Tennis website says Mr Younan has been a coach for over four decades.

“He has years of experience living, breathing and loving tennis,” the website reads.

“He is a member of Tennis Australia, has level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications and has previously coached ranked players.”

Tennis Australia said Mr Younan had previously been involved with the organisation, but was no longer.

Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commander Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec said on Thursday morning Mr Younan had allegedly groomed the girl over a period of months, before a six-month period of offending between July and December this year which ended when the child told her parents about the alleged abuse.

“We believe … there was a series of grooming taking place,” he said.

Mr Younan had allegedly been coaching the victim for two years, Det Supt Kerlatec said.

Police will also allege some of the sexual offending also took place at the tennis centre in Lindfield’s Queen Elizabeth Park.

“We are open to information,” Det Supt Kerlatec said when asked if police were speaking to other students at the tennis school.

Mr Younan is unmarried, childless, and lives alone in Lindfield.

He briefly appeared at Hornsby Local Court on Thursday, where he was formally refused bail.

Mr Younan will return to court in January and will appear via audio-visual link.