Feb 24 (Reuters) – The United States Tennis Association has named Tennis Australia head Craig Tiley as its next CEO, the national governing body that organises the U.S. Open said on Monday.
Tiley will formally assume his responsibilities as USTA CEO in the coming months as he continues to work closely with the board of directors of Tennis Australia to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
The 64-year-old South African, who had a 13-year stint at the helm of Tennis Australia, replaces Lew Sherr, who stepped down from the position last year to join Major League Baseball’s New York Mets as the team’s president of business operations.
“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, who began his tennis journey in the United States as a college coach, said in a USTA press release.
“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.”
During his time with Tennis Australia, tennis became the second most participated sport behind soccer in the country. He is now going to help the USTA achieve its goal of reaching 35 million players by 2035.
As CEO of Tennis Australia since 2013 and Australian Open tournament director since 2006, Tiley has been a champion for innovation and player-first initiatives. Under his leadership, the Australian Open continually broke attendance and revenue records, becoming one of the world’s most innovative and successful global sporting events.
Prior to that he was head coach of the University of Illinois men’s tennis team from 1994 to 2005 and guided the team to an NCAA Division I National Championship in 2003 with a perfect 32–0 record.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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