Australian Tennis Chief Named New Head of U.S. Tennis Association

Craig Tiley, the longtime leader of Tennis Australia, has been selected to lead the United States Tennis Association as its new CEO. The 64-year-old South African will take over the organization that runs the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

The United States Tennis Association announced Monday it has selected Craig Tiley, the current chief executive of Tennis Australia, to serve as its new leader.

Tiley will take on his new role as USTA CEO over the next several months while working with Tennis Australia’s board to ensure a seamless leadership change.

The 64-year-old executive from South Africa has led Tennis Australia for 13 years and will succeed Lew Sherr, who left the USTA position last year to become president of business operations for Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.

“I’ve long admired the organisation’s leadership in growing the game across the United States and the extraordinary success of the U.S. Open,” Tiley stated in a USTA announcement. Tiley, who started his tennis career in America as a collegiate coach, added: “I’m excited to return to American tennis and to work alongside our leadership locally and nationally to continue building the sport’s reach, impact, and future.”

Under Tiley’s guidance at Tennis Australia, tennis rose to become the nation’s second-most popular participatory sport, trailing only soccer. He will now focus on helping the USTA meet its ambitious target of attracting 35 million players nationwide by 2035.

Since taking charge of Tennis Australia in 2013 and directing the Australian Open tournament since 2006, Tiley has championed cutting-edge approaches and player-focused programs. His tenure saw the Australian Open consistently set new records for both attendance and earnings, establishing it as one of the globe’s most forward-thinking and profitable sporting spectacles.

Before his Australian tenure, Tiley served as head coach for the University of Illinois men’s tennis program from 1994 through 2005, leading the squad to the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2003 with an undefeated 32-0 season.