Two candidates remain in the hunt to be next Tennis Australia CEO, including current AFL club president

Final interviews to replace Craig Tiley as Tennis Australia CEO have been completed, with the search narrowed down to two candidates, including current Western Bulldogs president and Tennis Australia board member, Kylie Watson-Wheeler, The First Serve understands.

There is a growing possibility that Watson-Wheeler could become the new CEO, with an announcement expected by the end of this month at the latest.

Watson-Wheeler has been a TA board member since 2024. On top of the Western Bulldogs hat she wears, she also holds executive and non-executive director roles at The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand and ESPN. 

The other candidate in the mix is Tom Larner, who is currently the Chief Tennis Officer at Tennis Australia.

Whilst the view for quite some time is that Larner has being groomed for the role, having been at Tennis Australia since 2010 as Chief Operating Officer into his current role, having also served as CEO of Tennis Queensland in 2008-09, there is a strong thought that the TA Board, led by new Chair Chris Harrop could appoint Watson-Wheeler with their main priority to continue to increase and diversify revenue streams in terms of the commercial and events part of the business. 

At Walt Disney, Watson-Wheeler has led multiple areas of the business across content, marketing, sales, consumer products, theatrical distribution, publishing and local production.

It is a big decision for the Tennis Australia Board to get right, as it steps into the next era beyond Tiley's long reign. 

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It is a decision that could go either way, but there is enough noise to suggest that it is feasible that the governing body of tennis in this country could have a first-time female and non-tennis industry CEO, following on from Geoff Pollard, Steve Wood and Tiley.

The narrative from Tennis HQ all along was that the dual role of CEO/Tournament Director that Tiley held would remain in place with his replacement, but a Watson-Wheeler appointment would surely result in a pivot from that set-up.

An announcement by the end of May will allow the new CEO to be in place before Wimbledon, with Tiley expected to have his feet under the desk at the USTA by around mid-July.

Several internal and external candidates expressed interest in the job, but the field of candidates to be interviewed was narrowed down to two.

After Tiley's resignation back in February, the TA board appointed international executive search firm Egon Zehnder to manage both internal and external candidate evaluations. 

Sitting alongside Watson-Wheeler on the Western Bulldogs board is Fiona McGauchie, the Country Leader - AUST/NZ for Egon Zehnder, advising boards on critical leadership decisions, who is also an independent member of Tennis Australia's Nominations Committee for the national board; an Interesting parallel in who gets the nod.

As stated on the TA Website, Watson-Wheeler is a massive sports fan. Her family have always been involved in tennis and are passionate long-term attendees at the AO, but it begs the question: could a non-tennis-industry appointment work? 

Tennis Australia's job is to manage and promote tennis across Australia and represent it internationally, developing into a significant sports and entertainment business, so it is possible, surrounded by the tennis expertise.

What is of great interest to so many, whoever is appointed CEO, is how the structure and direction will look underneath, particularly on the tennis side of the business. 

The First Serve also understands that there has been communication between the top-end playing group on the men’s side, made up of top 100 players and Grand Slam doubles champions in Australia, with new Chair Chris Harrop, current CEO Craig Tiley and possible incoming CEO Tom Larner about a more collaborative approach around the performance, player liaison, and tournament space to drive change in the performance pathway. 

They have expressed their concerns about the current set-up.

Whichever way you slice and dice it, Tiley's departure will be the catalyst for change, with not just a new CEO. There is agitation for change across the organisation.

Stand by for the unveiling of the next CEO of Tennis Australia. 

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