New Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo pledged more shade and more seats for outer courts at the Australian Open in 2027, as the former rugby league administrator believes his background as a tennis outsider will fuel the tournament’s “relentless pursuit of growth”.
The first tennis grand slam of 2027 will include the largest temporary grandstand constructed at Melbourne Park, adding 700 seats, and there will be “triple the amount of shade” for fans, as Abdo plans to cap day pass sales to better manage visitor comfort.
He has appointed himself tournament director – replicating the dual role held by his predecessor Craig Tiley – but his launch address to tennis staff, partners and media in Melbourne on Thursday was marred by a gaffe when he referred to men’s world No 1 Jannik Sinner as “Jacob Sinner”.
Abdo told press afterwards “of course I know that it’s Jannik Sinner”, and flagged the Italian – who is recovering from a knee injury – plans to play in the One Point Slam promotion at Melbourne Park which pits amateurs against professionals.
Those in tennis accustomed to the experienced Tiley are still coming to terms with the appointment of Abdo, who has not enjoyed a smooth beginning to his tenure.
In a speech at the SportNXT conference last month, Abdo raised the possibility of shortening men’s grand slam matches from best-of-five sets. The idea sparked an immediate backlash from tennis traditionalists, prompting a post on Australian Open social media accounts saying “five-set tennis is here to stay”.
On Thursday, Abdo said there were benefits he brings as a tennis outsider. “I think I bring a fresh perspective, energy and new ideas,” he said.
“I’m not an outsider to leading in sport, and I’m not an outsider to understanding how to surround myself with incredibly talented, hard-working people to get the best outcome.
“One thing that you’ll get with from me is relentless pursuit of growth and relentless pursuit of value for our stakeholders.”
More than 1.3 million tickets were sold for the 2026 tournament, up more than 100,000 on the previous year. The tournament faces growing pains however, and long queues to get into courts are common especially on the weekends.
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“You never want to turn fans away, but we are ultimately really cognisant of the fan experience,” Abdo said.
“We’ve broken records every year in the last few years, and 1.3 million people into the precinct, clearly for us, space is a constraint we don’t want to have.”
In addition to the temporary grandstand on court six, Grand Slam Oval will include a two-storey structure around the shaded lawn. Abdo said it is a “delicate trade-off” between fan experience and selling tickets.
“We want to continue working with the government to create more space in this precinct so that we don’t have to cap crowds, but it is an important element to ensure that the fans that do come have a good experience, that the queues are manageable and they’re able to actually see what they’re here for, that is tennis, and obviously get the overall community experience and the fun and the festivities.”
