Timeline of outgoing Tennis Australia Chair Jayne Hrdlicka: How will she be remembered?
- Christian Montegan
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
After a decade involved with Tennis Australia, American-Australian business executive Jayne Hrdlicka has served her final year as Chair.
The 64-year-old will be replaced by Chris Harrop, who joined the Board two years ago.
Her work with Bain & Company, Qantas, Jetstar, and other organisations proved enough experience and expertise for Tennis Australia to give her the nod.
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People may only associate Hrdlicka with her long speeches at the men's and women's finals at the Australian Open, and you wouldn't blame them.
Known as a 'silent leader', Hrdlicka was rarely seen interacting with the media for interviews.
So, how will she be remembered?
January 2016 - Hrdlicka joins Tennis Australia's Board
October 2017 - History made as first female Chair is appointed
A strong passion for tennis, combined with business experience, elevated Hrdlicka to Board President and Chair to become the first female to hold the roles.
"We have strong leadership across the sport, and we need everyone working together to deliver great outcomes around Australia," said Hrdlicka when appointed. "Tennis Australia has undergone an unprecedented period of growth this past decade.
"There is a great foundation upon which to build the future success of the sport. That involves the growth of the Australian Open, Australian Open Series, continually enabling our national teams to achieve their best, helping identify and nurture the next generation of talent, working closely with the nation's coaches, growing the participation base throughout the nation and ensuring tennis is the sport of choice for our kids.
"We can only do that together as a unified tennis community, communicating regularly and following a well-constructed strategy."
February 21, 2021 - Melbourne crowd boo covid vaccine and Victorian government
The 2021 Australian Open was truly unprecedented due to the raging Covid pandemic.
Victoria was the Australian state most affected by the virus, with the then Premier Daniel Andrews imposing a four-month lockdown during the second wave outbreak.
Restrictions on international travel from the Victorian government meant the event had to commence on February 8, with players required to quarantine for 14 days (19 hours in the hotel and permitted five hours outdoors for training per day).
"It's just crazy, we've never seen anything like it," Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley told the Tennis Channel.
"Logistically, to pull something like this off will be a small miracle, but we are giving it a good go."
As Melbourne went into a snap five-day lockdown in the middle of the tournament, fans were forced to leave the precinct and be home before 11:59pm.
"It's been a time of deep loss and extraordinary sacrifice for everyone. With vaccinations on the way, rolling out in many countries around the world, it's now a time for optimism and hope for the future," Hrdlicka told the Rod Laver Arena crowd after the men's final between Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.
Her speech was met with a chorus of boos, putting into context the immense pressure that Hrdlicka and Tennis Australia carried.
September 2021 - Tennis Australia's financial report presents grim reading
Beginning on page 29, Tennis Australia released its annual financial report for 2021, ending in September, highlighting that the governing body depleted its $80 million in reserves and recorded a debt of $41 million in 12 months.
The report also stated a $100 million net loss, forcing Tennis Australia to manage costs by taking out a $40 million loan.
Although these financial challenges stemmed mainly from the pandemic, Tennis Australia opted to deliver a taxpayer-funded record prize money pool, despite ticket sales being limited to 50 per cent.
February 2022 - Board members "deeply regret" handling of Novak Djokovic's deportation
In a soap opera that attracted world headlines for all the wrong reasons, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was sensationally deported from Australia after entering the country unvaccinated.
The 10-time Australian Open winner was denied entry on January 6 2022, as his visa application was cancelled at Melbourne Airport before being taken to a detention centre during his appeal.
Djokovic admitted that a mistake on his travel form was a "human error" and was sent back to his home country, Serbia.
However, there was miscommunication between Tennis Australia and the Federal government after the former granted Djokovic a medical exemption.
After a catastrophic fortnight for the tournament, Hrdlicka acknowledged that the situation could have been handled better.
"Tennis Australia has been working closely with both the Federal and Victorian government for the past year to deliver a Covid-safe Australian Open for the players, staff, and fans," she said.
"As the Australian tennis family, we recognise that recent events have been a significant distraction for everyone, and we deeply regret the impact this had on all players.
"There are always lessons to learn, and we will review all aspects of our preparation and implementation to inform our planning – as we do every year."
Criticism was aimed at Hrdlicka for her lack of support for a burdened Craig Tiley, as well as her own responsibility in the saga.
January 29, 2025 - Australian Open smashes records once more
For the second straight Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season scheduled a Sunday start, which helped shatter records and register incredible numbers.
AO 2025 broke the main draw attendance record with 1,102,303 fans through the gates over 15 days
Across three weeks from January 6-26, 1,218,831 people visited Melbourne Park
Records were broken for nine individual sessions and 11 day/night totals
More than 1.5 million people attended events across the entire Australian Summer of Tennis
Part of Hrdlicka's responsibility during her tenure was to act as a link between the Board and Tennis Australia's management via Craig Tiley.
Although she is in a position to claim most of the credit and plaudits, it remains unclear how much influence she had on those Australian Open numbers behind the scenes.
May 12, 2025 - Unanimous Board decision selects new Chair
A unique selection process at Tennis Australia involves the existing directors, including Hrdlicka, to determine the new Chair.
Experienced strategy advisor Chris Harrop was confirmed as Hrdlicka's successor, with Harrop joining the Tennis Australia Board in December 2023.
The pair have history, as they both worked for the global strategy consulting firm Bain & Company.
Whether it's the right move remains to be seen.
September 2025 - Tennis Australia release no statement about Lleyton Hewitt's ITIA ban
Nearly 10 months after the incident occurred, Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt copped a two-week ban and a $30,000 fine by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for pushing a 60-year-old anti-doping official in the tunnel during Australia's semi-final loss to Italy at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Málaga.
The news was untimely, as Australia were set to host Belgium in Sydney for a spot in the Final 8 — a tie the Aussies would lose.
But the two-week ban was bizarre, with Hewitt allowed to captain the team from the bench, as the suspension commenced two weeks after the tie's conclusion.
Hewitt denied the charge and cited self-defence, but the tribunal upheld it, saying his behaviour was "not reasonable and proportionate".
Despite Tennis Australia working with the ITIA to resolve the issue, the governing body refused to release a statement on the matter.
As far as leadership is concerned, was that the right decision?
December 11, 2025 - Hrdlicka addresses members for the final time before her term ends at Tennis Australia Speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), Hrdlicka issued one final speech as Tennis Australia's Chair before the conclusion of her tenure.
"We are going from strength to strength in every part of our portfolio – from grass roots, to our performance programs and of course the AO. All of our key metrics have compound annual growth rates in double digits. I am just so proud of the leadership strength we have built as an organisation, and we are, without a doubt, a role model in Australian sport. In every corner of the community, we should be really proud of what we have achieved," Hrdlicka told members.
"Never forget, we make a difference in people's lives every day. No matter what your ability level, there is a place for you in our sport. I could not be more proud of our role uniting communities across Australia and providing inspiration and hope to those less advantaged.
"My advice for the future is to continue to thrive as one team with a grand ambition. Our one team approach across our ecosystem unites us and enables us to do extraordinary things. Maintain our mantra 'every day better'… that is what is required of our tennis players working hard to be No.1, and that is behind our great results over the last nine years across the portfolio."
It is rumoured that Hrdlicka and Tiley agreed to depart Tennis Australia concurrently; the latter is reportedly in advanced talks to become the new USTA CEO.
Tiley spoke at the AGM, commending Hrdlicka's work.
"Jayne's contribution to tennis has been extraordinary, and she leaves a tremendous legacy for which we are all extremely grateful," he said.
"Her focus throughout her tenure has been on collaboration and transparency as well as continued momentum for the organisation and across all levels of the sport.
"The benefits of her leadership will continue to be realised for years to come."
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