Craig Tiley departs Australia having indelibly changed the tennis landscape

"By most measures—attendance, eyeballs, prize money, athletes' praise—Tiley built on the solid foundations he inherited to transform the Australian Open into a colossal entertainment and sport event. Probably in that order too, entertainment then sport, for on-court offerings have long been just one part of a package that is now more about music, food and partying than serves and backhands."

"Tiley was a masterful operator unafraid to harness narratives to suit his plans. He leveraged concerns that the Open could be pinched by Sydney, or even China or the Middle East, to attract state government investment in facilities—including three state-of-the-art roofed stadiums."

"A Sunday start to expand the event to 13 days, as at Roland Garros, was explained as a way to help avoid the late night sessions that could stretch into early mornings, when it was mostly about the extra dollars generated by spreading the opening round across three days rather than two."

Craig Tiley served as Tennis Australia's director of tennis from 2005 and tournament director of the Australian Open since 2006, becoming the country's highest-paid sports administrator. Under his leadership, the Australian Open expanded significantly in attendance, prize money, and global viewership. Tiley strategically leveraged competitive threats from other cities to secure government investment in modern facilities, including three roofed stadiums. He extended the tournament to 13 days with a Sunday start and rebranded it as a three-week event, incorporating entertainment elements like music and food alongside traditional tennis. His innovations, including the One Point Slam exhibition, substantially increased crowd attendance from 554,858 in 2007. Tiley demonstrated masterful political acumen in shaping narratives to support his ambitious vision for transforming the Australian Open into a premier entertainment destination.

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