'I am going to be listening, I am going to be learning': Andrew Abdo introduced as new Tennis Australia CEO

(Getty/Daniel Pockett/)

Newly appointed Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo will officially start his new role on August 3, having been announced as Craig Tiley's successor on Monday.

Tiley will remain in the role until July 17, before he officially heads to the USA to take up his new role as CEO of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

Tennis Australia Chair Chris Harrop, alongside Tiley and Abdo, addressed the media in Melbourne today.

"We've been through a very extensive process over the last three and a half months now, doing a global search for somebody who could take on the role that Craig has done with such incredible aplomb over the last 13 years. We started with over 150 candidates for the role, we are lucky to have an organisation that people want to be a part of, " Harrop said.

"In the end, we interviewed Andrew five times. By the time we got to finally making an offer to him, we are thrilled that he has agreed to join us and take on this role."

Speaking for the first time as the incoming CEO, "Tennis is something that means a lot to a lot of people and on a national scale, community tennis means a lot to Australia, so this is a wonderful opportunity for me to take on a new challenge in a new sport with exciting opportunities ahead, and I can't wait to get started," Abdo said.

When Abdo was officially announced on Monday, he was named as the new CEO of Tennis Australia, but no mention of the Tournament Director dual role that Craig Tiley has held for the past 13 years.

When pressed on whether he would be the Australian Open Tournament Director: "I have been appointed by the Board to be the CEO of Tennis Australia, which means you are responsible for all aspects of the sport, from community sport to pathways to player development to delivering major events. The responsibility of the CEO is all-encompassing," Abdo explained.

Asked by the media if that meant a yes, he added: "As the CEO of Tennis Australia, I will be responsible for everything and what happens underneath in terms of the organisational design and who's responsible for what, I will get to once I start in the role."

Answering the question of whether he will hire someone to do that role for him, Abdo replied: "It’s not a question I can answer today; all of what I can say is that as the CEO of the sport, I am responsible for that event."

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Abdo expanded further on his appointment.

"There are a lot of learnings that you can take from leading a sport like Rugby League, and I will be honest, it is a sport that I have grown to love, and it has really become a part of my life, but there are a huge amount of learnings that are applicable to any other sport."

The 47-year-old still has quite a bit to finish off at the NRL before officially vacating the chair mid-July, headlined by a new broadcast deal, which he would love to have completed before his departure.

There will be a lot for Abdo to take in once he commences the role and begins to engage with the many stakeholders across tennis, reassuring the Australian tennis community that he is "going to be listening" and "going to be learning".

Former Australian great and Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has been very outspoken about the state of Australian tennis on court around the junior pathway and professional space.

When asked whether he would consider reaching out to Cash to consult on how to improve the performance space, Abdo remarked: "In sport, what we love is people's passion for the sport, and how much they care, so I plan to reach out to a number of stakeholders once I start and certainly welcome the views of current and former players."

It was reported by Marc McGowan in The Age this month that a large number of male players led by Alex de Minaur had signed a letter, sent to Chair Chris Harrop and Craig Tiley, endorsing Sam Groth to be in a senior leadership position.

When asked about the letter, Harrop responded: "I have had the chance to meet with quite a few of the former players over the last months, including talking with Sam and with some of the people who were involved in writing that letter. I think it is a really healthy thing to have people committed to our sport, engage in the sport and have opinions that on the surface are trying to improve outcomes, so I welcome that. I am very willing to talk with anyone.

"I think in terms of roles that those people might play within Tennis Australia, that is not really a decision for me, that's a decision for the Chief Executive and for others to provide guidance to those choices."

And a word from the outgoing CEO, who was part of the selection process, on what he saw in Abdo, whom he has known well through the CEO's of the major sports in Australia getting together fairly regularly.

"I've seen Andrew as a significant leadership talent in Australia, and I think he will bring a different lens, a different set of experiences to lead the role, and I couldn't be prouder of what we have left Andrew to lead, but also that he is going to take it to another level. We will work closely together to solve the issues with global tennis that currently exist."

Much to unfold and intrigue around a non-tennis background appointment for the first time, and what the structure will look like underneath him.

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