The Australian Open
Ex-AO boss may hit USO bureaucracy
The move of Australian Open TD Craig Tiley into the top position at the US Open, which was announced on Wednesday, may hold some unexpected surprises.
After gaining a free hand in building up the Melbourne event over two decades to its current three-week money-spinning extravaganza, the former South African tennis coach may find much less bandwidth when he takes his seat in the suburban New York US Tennis Association executive suite.
Tiley will leave his post and take over as CEO of the American federation within months.
Observers note that while Tiley was given free reign to develop the major in Melbourne, that might not be the case in the US, where the bureaucracy is much thicker and resilient.
The US Open remains a bigger brand and earner than the Australian even if tennis takes a backseat to most other sports in North America.
In Australia, the summer of tennis across venues at Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart and Melbourne dominate the January national sporting scene.
The Tiley moves had been in the rumour mill for weeks and came as no surprise. He will stay in post until a successor can be chosen.
The administrator began with TA as director of player development in 2005 and picked up the Grand Slam TD role a year later from popular former player and Grand Slam doubles winner Paul McNamee.
Tiley donned his second hat for tennis Australian in 2013, serving as CEO.
“Leading this team has been the privilege of my life. I am incredibly proud that Tennis Australia is now recognised globally as the player’s partner and the benchmark for the sport, events and entertainment,” Tiley said in a statement.
“The sport in Australia is in excellent shape. Tennis is one of the nation’s most popular sports, and participation is growing strongly – up eight per cent last year.
“We have a great group of players performing at the highest level and a world-class team developing the next generation of talented players and coaches.”
He added: “But my greatest thrill has been working with the many talented people throughout our entire team and indeed the Australian tennis family. It is a tight-knit community with so much passion, talent and commitment to the sport we all love.
“While I look forward to the challenge at the USTA, my immediate and total focus is clear: delivering a smooth transition and ensuring I leave the sport, the business and the team in the best possible shape.”
Headhunters have been called in by TA to mount a search for Tiley’s replacement, with his positions said to be ready to be split among two individuals.
The Australian Open
Fashion-forward Osaka will tone it down at RG
Tennis style icon Naomi Osaka has no plans to try for one-upmanship in the informal fashion stakes at Roland Garros.
The former world No. 1 from Japan has sometimes made more news with her style choices than her racquet, especially after taking time off several seasons ago to have a child.
But Osaka has run against the traditional tennis grain with some of her outfits, which included an exo-skeleton ensemble at January’s Australian Open, where she walked onto court for her opening match wearing a large hat, veil, and carrying a parasol combination and wearing a pair of pleated pants..
The clothing was discarded before the start revealing a tennis dress, with the quirky player explaining the get-up was inspired by “the jellyfish, then butterflies, which ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,”
The world No. 16 also put on a fashion show at the spring Met Gala in New York, sporting a wedding dress-style garment combined with another huge hat..
For Osaka, it’s just another day in the office, but she said nothing special is planned when Roland Garros kicks of on Sunday in Paris.
“I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes,” she said on Saturday prior to the start of the year’s second major.
“That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or
fabric as I want.
“I think that’s the fun part.. I feel we lost that a little in tennis. I grew up with, you know, Serena’s and Venus’s (Williams) grand reveals (included beaded hair and catsuits on court).
“I know there are some kids or some people who are similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits.
“But, yeah, I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense.”
ATP
Kyrgios due to resurface on German grass
Nick Kyrgios is being touted for a return to tennis after playing just one singles match all season, with the controversial Australian due in the lineups for Stuttgart and Halle in June.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist who turns 31 in a week, has been added to the entry lists for the pair of run-up events prior to the grass-court major which starts on June 29.
Kyrgios, who has missed months on end due to injury and motivational worries, has played just one Grand Slam match since 2022, losing in the Australian Open first round in 2025.
His lone outing this season was an ATP defeat in Brisbane on January 6.
Nevertheless, the acquired taste is feted as a crowd-puller and will have German organisers on alert as to his eventual availability.
“Nick Kyrgios has been one of the most dazzling personalities in world tennis for years,” Halle tournament organisers said in a statement.
“The Australian is known for his exceptional playing style, characterised by one of the best serves on the tour, spectacular winners, and great creativity.
“At the same time, his emotional personality and charisma attract considerable attention far beyond the sport.”
Stuttgart start the day after the Roland Garros final while Halle follows a week later in northern Germany from June 13-21.
ATP
Djoko dropping hints that career has short shelf life
Novak Djokovic has been making it plain that the end of his career is approaching, with the 38-year-old dropping his strongest hint ever about his future on court.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion who has been keeping his ATP scheduling options open and has competed this season only at the Australian Open (finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz) and winning two rounds last month at Indian Wells.
“Tennis is still very important to me, but it’s no longer everything,” the Serb told Esquire Australia, adding that family matters and two children are starting to take precedence in his life.
“It’s one of the biggest challenges – finding the right balance between tennis and family life, especially as my children are growing and have school commitments, so they can’t travel with me as much as before.
“When I’m on the court, I’m motivated not just to win, but to set an example – to show them values like dedication, resilience, and love for what you do. That motivation is very powerful and very personal.”
Main photo:- Novak Djokovic was runner up to Carlos Alcaraz in AO26 – by ISF Ltd
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