For the first time in history the award is shared by two players.
Alex de Minaur and Ashleigh Barty were so scintillating in 2018, that Tennis Australia had to break the rules to give them their due.

The pair of rising Aussie phenoms were jointly awarded the Newcombe Medal on Monday at the Australian Tennis Awards in Melbourne.

For Barty, who went 46-19 with two titles in 2018, its her second consecutive Newcombe medal. The 22-year-old took it home in 2017 as well after notching her first career Top 20 finish.

De Minaur, still 19, burst onto the scene in 2018, rising from outside the Top 200 to his current perch at No.31 in the world. He was named ATP Newcomer of the Year.

History has been made in 2018. The highest individual honour in Australian tennis is awarded to @alexdeminaur and @ashbar96 🏅 🏅 #Newks18 pic.twitter.com/ne3wuNXOxR

— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) November 26, 2018

“[The decision] was very difficult,” Newcombe said. “So we did the only sensible thing. For the first time, we have dual medallists.”

“It’s been a whirlwind of a year–I’ve enjoyed every second of it,” De Minaur said. “I’ve just tried to keep improving each day, keep battling it out, keep fighting every single point. I’m super proud of my efforts.”

“It truly is amazing to be standing up here again,” Barty said of the honor. “I’m very grateful and very thankful to be in the position to be able to play the sport that I love, to do this as a job and to enjoy every single moment.”

Darren Cahill picked up the coaching excellence award from Tennis Australia for his work with Simona Halep, while Destanee Aivia and Rinky Hijikata picked up the awards for male and female junior athlete of the year.

Former star Casey Dellacqua was awarded with the Spirit of Tennis Award.

Legendary. The tennis family unites at #Newks18 🙌 pic.twitter.com/CUo4OOXOVT

— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) November 26, 2018

The French legend gave the media lots to chew on in his farewell press conference

The winds of change are blowing hard in Lille, France, and after the dust settled and Croatia was crowned the 2018 champion, the stark reality set in.

The Davis Cup as we know it is over.

Even during the trophy ceremony on Sunday Nicolas Mahut could be seen giving ITF President David Haggerty a piece of his mind.

And he wasn't the only one with strong words on offer.

Just after the final, Yannick Noah said farewell to the media after his final tie as French Captain, and gave them plenty to chew on as well.

"It's very confusing,” he said of the future of Davis Cup. “Nobody knows what will happen. I hope, in any case, that the money promised, will serve small countries. I hope so.”

Noah, who coached the French to three Davis Cup titles over the course of his three stints and nine years at the helm of Les Bleus, leaves with a bittersweet feeling about the soon to be revamped competition.

Call it anything you like, he says, just not Davis Cup.

A deep, meaningful, sad and already nostalgic end to a great chapter.

"This was my last press conference, tennis is over for me" said legendary Yannick Noah to the journalists here at Stade Pierre-Mauroy #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/XnhCHCmN70

— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) November 25, 2018

“To be continued,” Noah added. “But do not call this Davis Cup competition yet! Matches in two sets? It will not be the Davis Cup. Those who still call this competition by name are liars! Nothing will be the same again.”

Noah expressed doubts that the competition will have the same emotional tone now that the final will be an 18-team affair at a neutral venue.

"I said I'm disgusted and upset to his face,” he said. “It's the truth. It's the way I feel. Everyone has a right to feel differently but I feel I owe the Davis Cup because it means so much to me as a player, as a spectator. We have people who have decided it doesn't matter, I don't know if they don't know, or they don't care. But as I told the president I'm not from his world."