Australian Open is thriving, but is Australian tennis developing enough champions?
Peter Johnston believes Australian tennis needs more people who understand the game involved in decisions about its future.
Having previously worked as a long-time senior administrator and executive at Tennis Australia, including the Deputy Tournament Director role of the Australian Open, the 66-year-old has witnessed a different approach to nurturing talent. Today, he believes, the sport could make better use of the experience and expertise of former players and coaches.
"I think the board, the Tennis Australia board, certainly needs more sort of tennis expertise," Johnston said in an interview with The First Serve.
His proposed solution is to re-establish a dedicated player development board, drawing on the knowledge of former champions and experienced coaches, including Pat Cash, Mark Woodforde, Paul McNamee and Darren Cahill.
"They're not all going to have to be on the payroll," Johnston said. "But I think what would be wrong with forming a new player development board?"
Johnston also previously served on a player development board of the McDonald's Junior Tennis Australia, launched in 1985 to help revive Australian tennis at the time. He believes bringing experienced tennis figures back into the decision-making process would provide valuable oversight and help ensure development programmes are meeting the needs of emerging players.
If you missed it, new Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo had an extended chat to The First Serve Live on Monday night, outlining his vision for the future of Australian tennis. View here.
For Johnston, the issue is not about tearing down the existing system. Rather, it is about making practical changes at a time when Australian tennis searches for its next generation of champions.
That challenge now sits with Andrew Abdo, who has taken on the dual responsibilities of Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open tournament director.
Abdo arrives from outside tennis, having previously led the NRL, and Johnston believes understanding the nuances of the sport will be essential to his success.
"You kind of do need that history in the game," Johnston said, while acknowledging Abdo can rely on experienced staff already working within Tennis Australia.
The dual role is also demanding. As a tournament director, Johnston explained, the job extends well beyond the on-court product, encompassing players, agents, broadcasters, scheduling and a complex network of stakeholders.
He expects the structure to evolve as Abdo settles into the position, potentially with a dedicated Australian Open tournament director appointed beneath the CEO.
But Johnston's broader concern is what happens beyond Melbourne Park.
More than a summer spectacle
The Australian Open has become one of the country's major sporting events, attracting enormous crowds and global attention. Abdo intends to build on that success, with plans for the 2027 tournament including a 45 per cent expansion of Grand Slam Oval, three times as much shade and additional seating.
"We want the AO to be the undisputed Grand Slam champion," Abdo told The First Serve.
Yet he also recognises that a successful tournament does not automatically produce more successful Australian players.
Abdo has identified three connected priorities: getting more people playing tennis, helping more Australians win and using the Australian Open's global platform to grow the sport.
"We've got a wonderful AO," he said. "I want to harness that with the team and convert that into inspiring more people to get in the game."
His early discussions with current and former players, coaches and other stakeholders have helped shape a plan focused on participation and performance.
One priority is to make tennis more accessible and create more opportunities for players to compete. Abdo said Australia currently has around 40 professional competitions, compared with roughly three times that number in the United States and Europe.
"We need more competitions," he said, outlining plans to invest in junior events and professional tournaments, including opportunities to concentrate competition across parts of the year.
He also wants to reduce the cost of playing, improve access to courts and provide better support for coaches. More clay and indoor courts are part of that vision, allowing players to practice year-round and experience a wider range of playing conditions.
It represents a potential shift in approach for a country where hard courts dominate and access to clay remains comparatively limited. Greater exposure to different surfaces could help players develop more versatile games, although infrastructure alone will not guarantee better results.
The challenge is connecting these opportunities with a development system capable of identifying and supporting talent over many years.
The difficult climb to the top
The gap between promising juniors and established professionals is one of tennis' most difficult transitions. Even players who win consistently at lower levels can struggle to earn enough to fund the next stage of their careers.
Abdo highlighted a group of players ranked approximately 250 to 600 in the world, many in their early-to-mid 20s, who have the ability to compete but often attempt to progress without substantial support.
"They can all hit a pretty good ball but are doing it on their own," he said.
Matthew Dellavedova offers a striking example of that challenge.
The 26-year-old Australian today won his 100th match of 2026, building an impressive record while attempting to move further up the professional rankings. He is currently ranked world No.233 in the live rankings (29th October)
Yet his results have not removed the financial pressures of life on tour. The First Serve recently reported that Dellavedova, as of October 19th, had only earned AUD$75,875 in prize money so far this year, despite winning nearly 100 matches.
To put this into context, the total prize money guaranteed for reaching the third round of qualifying at the 2026 Australian Open was AUD$83,500.
His father, Melbourne coach Peter Dellavedova, described his son as a "one-man show", explaining that he manages his conditioning and travel largely on his own.
"To break into that next level, to afford to have a coach with you," Peter said, "you need to sort of break into that next level."
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The financial dilemma is circular: players need support to improve their results, but often need better results before they can afford that support.
Peter also said his son was still drawing on the money he received after earning a Tennis Australia wildcard into Australian Open qualifying in 2025, which equates to AUD $35,000 for a first round loss to Terence Atmane. The comment illustrated how significant a single Grand Slam opportunity can be for a player trying to finance a career.
Despite his extraordinary workload, Peter worries about how long his son can continue competing at that intensity without a larger support network.
How wide should the net be cast?
Abdo acknowledges that Tennis Australia cannot fund every aspiring professional. The question is where to direct limited resources and when to intervene.
"There's a trade-off in terms of the amount of resources you have to invest in, you know, wide or deep," he said. "You've got to get that balance right."
Investing heavily in a small group of elite prospects may produce immediate results, but it risks overlooking players who develop later. Abdo noted that players, on average, reach the top 100 at around 25, meaning development support may need to extend well beyond the junior years.
His stated ambition is to create an environment where more players can thrive, while recognising that individuals will need different forms of assistance at different stages.
For Johnston, greater involvement from experienced tennis people could help ensure those decisions are made with a deeper understanding of the pathway. For Abdo, the task is to translate that ambition into a practical model that balances participation, infrastructure, coaching and elite performance.
Australia already has a tournament capable of capturing the world's attention. The harder question is whether the sport can use that platform to build a stronger pipeline of players capable of competing in it.
Time will tell, of course, but Abdo certainly gives the early impression that he is approaching the challenge head-on with open ears and a fresh perspective.
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