May 29, 2026 — 3:56pmIncoming Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo refused to commit to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Craig Tiley by also becoming the Australian Open tournament director.Abdo, who spent the past six years as the NRL’s CEO, will continue his rugby league duties until July 15 – with the expectation he will lock in a new broadcast deal for the competition before departing – and is due to officially start with TA on August 3.Tennis Australia unveils its incoming CEO Andrew Abdo.The AgeHe confirmed at his introductory media conference at Melbourne Park on Friday that he would relocate from Sydney for his new job.This masthead asked Abdo if he would be the Open’s next tournament director, but he said only that he was hired as CEO and would oversee all aspects of the sport, from grassroots to talent development and pathways, as well as delivering major events.“The responsibility of the CEO is all-encompassing, and I look forward to that role and that leadership responsibility,” Abdo said.“What happens underneath that, in terms of ... who’s responsible for what, I’ll get to once I start in the role.”Incoming Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo is unlikely to also be the Australian Open’s tournament director.The AgeAbdo said he was not in a position to answer whether he would appoint a tournament director to run the grand slam.He arrives without the tennis background of Tiley, an esteemed college coach and South African Davis Cup captain, but won the role in a rigorous process that included five interviews in recent weeks.“This represents a new challenge and a new opportunity for me. It is a sport that I have a natural affinity for,” Abdo said.“My wife is a massive tennis fan, and during the interview process, she said to me, and I quote, ‘Andrew, this is my dream job for you’, so I felt a lot of pressure, but I’m equally excited. ”Tiley, who will leave his TA role in mid-July, was adamant at the time he announced his resignation in February to join the United States Tennis Association as CEO that his successor at Tennis Australia should fill both roles.He transformed the Australian Open into one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, expanding its reach far beyond tennis into an entertainment juggernaut that attracted almost 1.4 million fans in three weeks in January.Tiley’s tenure as TA boss was ragingly successful on that front.However, the most common criticism of his reign is that he spent a disproportionate amount of his time on the Open and less on the rest of the business, including participation and player development, although he disputes that.There is concern about the lack of emerging men’s players, which Tiley previously brushed off as part of the normal cycle of talent, but there is increasing heat on chief strategy and performance officer Tim Jolley.Abdo said it was not the appropriate time to discuss Jolley’s future.“We want as many Aussies competing in the top 10 on the men’s and women’s tours as possible, so thinking about talent development is critical,” he said.“The team has done a phenomenal job [with the Australian Open]. It’s the players’ and fans’ favourite slam, but how do we keep making it that, and beyond, and a truly global, iconic event – not just a sporting event?“These are real challenges, [including] facilities, reducing friction points. This is what the job is.“I don’t have the answers [yet], but I’m going to be listening, I’m going to be learning, and I’m going to be applying as much as I can, and harnessing the talents of the team that exists in Tennis Australia and the broader tennis community to [create a] common vision.”There is a push among the country’s leading men’s players, including Alex de Minaur, for TA to appoint Davis Cup representative and ex-deputy opposition leader Sam Groth in a senior leadership position with “genuine authority and accountability”.Groth is currently in Paris for Roland-Garros and has a strong relationship with many of Australia’s top male players, who are keen for the former world No.53 to give them a greater voice at executive level.TA chairperson Chris Harrop confirmed he had met with Groth and some of Australia’s top players since de Minaur, Jordan Thompson, Matt Ebden and eight other peers forwarded him a letter endorsing the 2015 Newcombe medallist.“It’s a really healthy thing to have people committed to our sport, engaged in the sport, and who have opinions that are in service of trying to improve outcomes,” Harrop said.“I welcome that, and am very willing to talk to anyone. In terms of roles that those people might play within Tennis Australia, that’s not really a decision for me. That’s a decision for the chief executive, and for others to provide guidance to those choices.”Abdo also addressed Pat Cash’s criticism about the development pathways in Australian tennis, and how the Australian Open was masking the “cracks” in the rest of the sport. The new CEO hinted he would seek to speak with the Wimbledon champion once he started his role.Tennis Australia engaged global executive search firm Egon Zehnder to help find Tiley’s replacement. Abdo confirmed they approached him to be part of a field of more than 150 candidates.From our partners