(Getty/Daniel Pockett) Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo has been confirmed as the new Australian Open tournament director and believes it's "incredibly important" for Australian tennis to produce more champions. The former Rugby League CEO spoke at the 2027 Australian Open Launch, where the map was laid out for what to expect to see at the first major of the year. Australian Open 2027's three-week tennis and entertainment program includes: AO Ballpark presented by Emirates TO

(Getty/Fred Lee) World No.4 Coco Gauff has defended herself after an "unfortunate situation" occurred during her third round match at the WTA 1000 Beijing Open. The 22-year-old defeated Chinese local Xinran Sun 7-5, 6-1 on Centre Court. But controversy struck towards the end of the opening set when Gauff was serving to stay in it at 4-5, as her opponent thought she had hit a winner until Gauff raised her hand to stop the point, explaining that a light in the side panels was f

Daniil Medvedev fronting the media after being controversially defaulted. (Getty/Greg Baker) A "terribly sorry" Daniil Medvedev hopes he can apologise in person after hitting a spectator in the eye during his semi-final in Beijing, resulting in disqualification. In what was a high-quality match against Novak Djokovic, the first set lasted 79 minutes as the Serbian star clinched the opener 7-5. Djokovic, who arrived at the ATP 500 event as the sixth seed, pulled away in the se

(Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The WTA has revealed its 2027 calendar. It will comprise 55 events in 26 countries and territories, including a new WTA 250 tournament in Manila, Philippines, while building throughout the season toward the WTA Finals in its new home of Charlotte, North Carolina. The season will also mark a defining milestone for women's sport. For the first time, all combined WTA 1000 tournaments will award equal prize money, building o

Karolína Plíšková at the US Open. (Getty/Pete Staples) Two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolína Plíšková has skipped the upcoming WTA 1000 event in Wuhan because there is "not that much of a motivation" to compete. The former world No. 1 returned to the Tour at the 2026 Australian Open after a year-long absence due to serious left ankle ligament and tendon damage. Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in its 18th year on the SEN Network/App, Australia's only de

(Getty/Jean Catuffe) Former Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley has been filmed in a docushort which will be released at the end of the month. Tiley, who accepted the United States Tennis Association (USTA) CEO role earlier this year, has had cameras following him during his final weeks at Tennis Australia and his new start at the USTA. Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in its 18th year on the SEN Network/App, Australia's only dedicated weekly tennis progra

Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane. (Getty/Albert Perez) The ATP and WTA are currently drawing up plans to relocate February's Middle East swing due to the ongoing war and conflict in the region, with Australia viewed as a possible destination. Exclusively reported by journalist James Gray, tennis authorities are scrambling to ditch Dubai and Doha, which are scheduled to host events after January's Australian Open, given the security risks and potential logistical implications. Liste

(Getty/Tobias Titz) Former Tennis Australia officials Karen Mak and Simon Cannavan have filed legal proceedings against Tennis Australia in the Federal Court, concerning alleged breaches of workplace rights under the Fair Work Act. Late last year, allegations were put forward to the Fair Work Commission after four board members - chair Karen Mak, umpires Simon Cannavan and Catherine Caswell, and court supervisor Jim Goode - had their officiating registrations terminated by Te

Elena Rybakina won the 2025 WTA Finals. (Getty/STR) The WTA Finals have found a new home, with Charlotte, North Carolina, agreeing to host the year-end event for the next three years, commencing in 2027. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the WTA left the Saudi Arabia Finals deal early due to the ongoing war and uncertainty in the Middle East. Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in its 18th year on the SEN Network/App, Australia's only dedicated weekl

WTA chair Valerie Camillo attending the US Open. (Getty/Michael Mooney) Despite the women's circuit experiencing one of its most exciting eras, with Grand Slam winners harder to predict than ever, worrying news is coming from off court. A report by The Telegraph's Simon Briggs states that the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is expected to have around USD$15 million in cash at the end of 2026, while projecting operational losses as high as USD$23 million for the year. If the

(Getty/Mark Metcalfe) New Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo believes it is important to "connect with young people", as he outlines his vision to make tennis Australia's No.1 participated sport. Abdo, who ended his role as NRL CEO to replace Craig Tiley at Tennis Australia earlier this year, will lead the Australian Open for the first time in January 2027. Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in its 18th year on the SEN Network/App, Australia's only dedicat

(Getty/Clive Brunskill) The tournament may have concluded a couple of months ago, but Wimbledon have stepped in early to avoid an inundation of influencers amid concerns at the US Open. Wimbledon organisers have also planned to confiscate items such as ring lights to minimise the risk of disrupting matches. Listen to The First Serve Live every Monday at 8pm AEST in its 18th year on the SEN Network/App, Australia's only dedicated weekly tennis program on commercial radio runni

Aryna Sabalenka and Serena Williams at the US Open. (Getty/Julian Finney/Robert Prange) The International Integrity Agency (ITIA) is currently investigating a US Open promotional party involving a gambling company, which could result in players receiving a warning. Prominent tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg reported the story Friday morning (AEST), uncovering details about DraftKings event host Dave Grutman, who is regarded as a "well-connected Miami nightlife impresario". Li

Some of the world's top players have had their say on the hot topic of influencers swarming the US Open, with one particular match forced to stop because of a ring light. During Naomi Osaka's first round match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the chair umpire had to intervene because a group of influencers were making content while causing a disturbance due to noise and the portable ring light flash. "Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please, thank you guys, please take your seat

(Getty/Matthew Stockman) Novak Djokovic provided insight into his physical state after admitting he has struggled "pretty much every match this year" following a stunning US Open boil over. The 39-year-old faced world No. 49 Mariano Navone in the opening round on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the Serbian star dropped the first set in a tiebreak before taking control with a two-sets-to-one lead. However, during that time, Djokovic was captured throwing up on the side of the court. L

Australian tennis will be well represented when the 2026 US Open gets underway at Flushing Meadows, with 15 Australians preparing to take their place in the singles draws.

Thanasi Kokkinakis receiving treatment at Roland Garros. (Getty/Robert Szaniszlo) Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alexei Popyrin arrive at the US Open under separate injury clouds, with the former confessing that he's in "a race against the clock" to be fully ready. The US Open main draw was released in the early hours of Friday morning AEST, with Kokkinakis dealt a horror opening match against in-form 12th seed Rafael Jódar. Kokkinakis, 30, returned to singles action in May after fou

(Getty Images) Australia’s top senior Padel players have been announced for the FIP Senior World Cup Buenos Aires, Argentina, which will take place from 14 - 19 September 2026. The fourth edition of the FIP Senior World Cup will see the best players from around the world represent their countries for the tournament’s debut in South America. Former World No.1 Men’s Tennis Champion Pat Rafter (NSW) will join twelve other Men's players and thirteen Women’s player to repre

(Getty/Sarah Stier, Felipe Amorim) Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet has called out the US Open's attempt to "make money" from mixed doubles, as she feels for the doubles specialists forced to watch on the sidelines. This year marks the second edition of the mixed doubles concept, with top-ranked singles players participating in the main draw spread across two days during Fan Week. Experienced doubles pair Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori were crowned mixed doubles champions in New Y

Stan Wawrinka holds the 2016 US Open trophy. (Getty/Elsa) After days of rumours and guesses, former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka requested a wildcard into the final Grand Slam of the year. Wawrinka, 41, is playing his final season on Tour and previously received wildcards into the other three Grand Slams, where his best performance was the Australian Open, reaching the third round. However, despite eight wildcards available, the Swiss star has been rejected by the United St