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.