Craig Tiley has been officially announced as the new chief executive of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), organizer of the US Open grand slam, after 13 years leading its Australian counterpart.
Tiley, the long-standing chief executive of Tennis Australia and tournament director of the Australian Open, replaces Lew Sheer, who has joined Major League Baseball’s New York Mets franchise, and will step into his new role at USTA by mid-2026, ahead of this year’s US Open in New York.
Tiley, who previously worked as a college tennis coach in the US, said: “I've long admired the organization’s leadership in growing the game across the United States and the extraordinary success of the US Open.
"I'm excited to return to American tennis and to work alongside our leadership locally and nationally to continue building the sport's reach, impact, and future."
Tiley departs after a long career at Tennis Australia, joining the governing body as director of tennis in 2005 before being promoted to chief executive and Australian Open tournament director in 2013.
Under his leadership, the Australian Open has become a commercial success, with the recent 2026 edition concluding with a record 1.35 million fans through the gates at Melbourne Park.
Among his achievements, Tiley oversaw the multi-billion-dollar redevelopment of the Melbourne Park precinct and the expansion of the Australian Open to a 15-day event, launched the innovative and popular ‘Million Dollar One Point Slam’ event, and significantly expanded the Australian Open’s digital and broadcast footprint globally.
Along with commercial achievements, Tiley drove an 8% increase in national participation last year alone, led by the “Hot Shorts” junior program.
USTA chair Brian Vahaly said: “From the very beginning of this process, our top priority was identifying the right leader to accelerate participation growth and help us achieve our goal of reaching 35 million players by 2035.
“Craig brings a rare combination of global credibility at the highest level of the sport and a proven commitment to growing the game at the grassroots. That balance is exactly what this moment requires."
Tennis Australia has said Tiley is committed to outlining a five-year strategy for the Tennis Australia board before his departure to ensure the tournament remains a premier asset on the global tennis calendar.
Tiley added: “I'm incredibly proud that Tennis Australia is now recognized globally as the player's partner and the benchmark for the sport, events, and entertainment.
“The sport in Australia is in excellent shape. Tennis is one of the nation's most popular sports, and participation is growing strongly."
Tennis Australia chair, Chris Harrop, confirmed the board has engaged international executive search firm Egon Zehnder to find Tiley’s replacement, with the board to discuss whether to maintain the structure of a joint chief executive and tournament director or split the roles into two positions.
