Australian Open 'Meritorious' Executive Departs to Take Charge of US Open
United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced on February 23 that its new CEO is current Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley. He will officially take office in mid-2026, responsible for the overall operations of USTA and the management of the US Open.
Tiley, 64, is from South Africa. He will remain in his current position for the next few months to assist Tennis Australia in finding a successor, ensuring a smooth transition.
The Australian Open has been innovative in recent years, and this year set a new Grand Slam attendance record: the three-week event drew 1.37 million on-site spectators, surpassing the 2025 US Open's 1.14 million.
Tennis Australia board member Chris Harrop said Tiley's tenure was "transformative", leaving a strong team and clear future plans for Australian tennis.
From 1994 to 2005, Tiley served as head coach of the University of Illinois men's tennis team, leading them to a perfect 32-0 season and the NCAA national championship in 2003, earning National Coach of the Year honors twice.
He has been Australian Open tournament director since 2006 and CEO of Tennis Australia since 2013, serving Australian tennis for 21 years.
Regarding his departure from Australia to the U.S., he called it a "family decision" — his wife is from Chicago, USA. He wants his 12-year-old twin sons and 13-year-old daughter to have the opportunity to be close to their American family.
Taking over USTA, Tiley will help the organization achieve its strategic goal of 35 million tennis players by 2035. Currently, the U.S. tennis population is about 27.3 million and is on a continuous growth trend.
USTA public data shows that the US Open generated $559.7 million in revenue in 2024, setting a record for tennis tournaments. US Open revenue accounts for over 90% of USTA's total revenue.
| Sources: Sports Business Journal; Yahoo; ABC News
| Image Credits: Vox Hour; Tennis Australia official website