NEW YORK – Roland Garros paid a grand tribute to Rafael Nadal, its greatest champion, and the Australian Open wants to do the same with its own. Whenever Novak Djokovic decides to retire, Melbourne will stage a major farewell in his honour.
“All I can say… is that it’s going to be big,” Craig Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director, told CLAY in an interview also published in RG Media.
“I hope it’s a long time from now, though. He’s still performing at an extremely high level. When the time comes… we do have some ideas. It would be premature to share them now. I don’t see Novak retiring any time soon,” said the South African, who, as the tournament’s leader, has witnessed Djokovic’s ten titles there – an all-time record in the men’s tour.
Since 2006, Tiley has been at the helm of the Australian Open, transforming it into the so-called Happy Slam – a fan-first spectacle known for innovation, atmosphere, and world-class facilities. Beyond his role as tournament director, he is also the CEO of Tennis Australia, one of the most influential administrators in the sport.
In New York during the US Open, Tiley also reflected with CLAY on what makes his job rewarding, the toughest challenges he has faced, his special relationships with legends such as Roger Federer, Nadal, Serena Williams, and Andy Murray, and shared his thoughts on the mixed doubles experiment at the North American Grand Slam: “What they did was fantastic. This is what we need to do in tennis – more different, new things.”
Interview with Craig Tiley
– What do you enjoy the most about being the director of such a major tournament?
– I’m very fortunate to be in this role, it’s a privilege. I love the relationships – stakeholder management, relationships with customers, with the team, everything, but I particularly enjoy the connection with the players. It’s like a big matrix of problem-solving every single day, but if you build strong relationships, you can have success.
– And what would you say is the toughest aspect of the job?
– There is nothing I hate about it, but the tough thing is when you have to make a decision where two people have different desires. Also, when you have a crisis and our whole team is under a lot of pressure. Over the course of three weeks, you’re always going to have something come up.
– What has been the single biggest issue you’ve had to deal with?
– COVID, for sure. We had the lockdowns, the whole situation with the visas and vaccinations, that was the biggest issue. Also, we’ve had bushfires that have taken away from the visibility of the event. Dirty rain and dust storms, so a lot of mess at the venue. High winds, several days of extreme heat, monsoon rains… There are many variables, this is what’s most challenging for us.
– Which players have you had the closest and most special relationships with during your time as AO tournament director?
– I’ve had a long journey with them since they were kids – Roger and Rafa, also Serena and Novak. Their private persona is brilliant. Whatever the public says about them, if it’s negative, I never agree with it, because my interaction with those four players has always been brilliant. I’ve got deep respect for them and for what they’ve achieved. Andy Murray has also achieved great things. The Williams sisters have always been special to me because of what they’ve done for women’s sport.
– We all saw the amazing farewell ceremony for Nadal at Roland Garros. Many people are wondering – what will happen in Australia when Djokovic eventually retires? How do you envision that moment?
– All I can say is it’s going to be big. I hope it’s for a long time still, though. He’s a great player and I would like to see him play longer. He still does extremely well. When the time comes… we do have some ideas! It would be premature to share them now. I don’t see Novak retiring any time soon. He’s at the top of his game. We’re more focused on having a great event in 2026. The US Open did a brilliant job, a really good event, and we’re looking forward to upping the ante even more.
– Will there be any novelties at the Australian Open next year?
– Absolutely. I can say that 50 percent of the experience will be different. That’s our goal. Fans will enjoy it, but there will also be a lot of different things for the players.
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– Are you considering adopting the same mixed doubles format we saw at the US Open?
– I think it was great. We’re not doing it because we’ve got other things going on at the time, but what they did was fantastic. This is what we need to do in tennis – more different, new things. Men and women playing together is a great opportunity to showcase that. We’ve got the United Cup, which is ten days of mixed tennis, and that is our marquee event when it comes to men and women playing together.
– Would you agree that Grand Slams are essentially three-week events now?
– The fans want that, they want the entertainment. You can see that it works. The stakes are high, competition is really big, prize money is big. We respond to what the fans want, which is something we need to be doing more of.
– Finally, a broad question: how do you try to bring together all the major players in tennis for the good of the sport?
– I think that’s happening more now. There’s been more conversation and we’ll see a lot more of that in the coming months and years. I think the players’ voice needs to be bigger in the future of the sport.
– And how do they actually make their voice bigger?
– By coming together more and having more conversations. It’s difficult for them because they’re competing, but if there’s an opportunity… I’ve always advocated for the players and I think we need to talk because there is upside for our sport. It will benefit all of us.
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