USTA Appoints Craig Tiley as Chief Executive Officer

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced Craig Tiley will serve as its new Chief Executive Officer. Tiley previously led Tennis Australia as its CEO for 13 years, and served as the Australian Open’s Tournament Director since 2006.

🖥️📲 Stream on the Tennis Channel App: Behind the Scenes with Craig Tiley

“I am truly honored to step into the role of CEO of the USTA later this year,” Tiley said in a press release provided by the USTA. “I’ve long admired the organization’s leadership in growing the game across the United States and the extraordinary success of the US Open. Tennis has shaped my life—personally and professionally—and having begun my tennis journey in the U.S. as an NCAA championship coach, this opportunity feels like a full-circle moment. 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 will take the helm of an organization that is well on its way in pursuit of a purpose-driven mission—“Growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere”—and has established incredible momentum toward achieving its goal of reaching 35 million players in the United States by 2035. He joins the USTA during a period of unprecedented growth, with tennis participation surging to a new high of 27.3 million players in 2025—the sixth consecutive year of growth for the game in the U.S. Since 2019, tennis in America has grown by 54 percent—adding nearly 10 million players—with these latest increases driven by more play occasions, more players coming and staying in the sport and strong momentum from play by women and communities of color.

“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,” said USTA Board Chair and interim Co-CEO Brian Vahaly.

“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. As we look to fully leverage the power of the US Open as a platform for inspiration and growth, Craig’s leadership and understanding of the entire tennis ecosystem will be invaluable. We are excited to build on our current momentum of six consecutive years of participation growth, and we are confident he is the right leader to guide American tennis into its next chapter."

A native of South Africa, Tiley's professional journey includes a deep history in American tennis. As the Head Coach of the University of Illinois men’s tennis team from 1994 to 2005, he guided the team to an NCAA Division I National Championship in 2003 with a perfect 32–0 record. Tiley was twice honored as the Wilson/ITA Division I National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the ITA Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.

During his tenure with Tennis Australia, tennis became the second most participated sport behind soccer in the country. In 2025 the sport had 8.3 percent growth, more than any other sport. Over the last five years, online court bookings tripled and overall participation grew by 30 percent. Coach membership grew 44 percent over the last five years and female coaches grew by 60 percent—now representing 33 percent of the total coaching workforce in Australia.

I’ve long admired the organization’s leadership in growing the game across the United States and the extraordinary success of the US Open. Tennis has shaped my life—personally and professionally—and having begun my tennis journey in the U.S. as an NCAA championship coach, this opportunity feels like a full-circle moment. 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. Craig Tiley

"Leading this team has been the privilege of my life. I am incredibly proud that Tennis Australia is now recognised globally as the player's partner and the benchmark for the sport, events and entertainment,” Tiley said in a press release provided by Tennis Australia.

“The sport in Australia is in excellent shape. Tennis is one of the nation’s most popular sports, and participation is growing strongly – up eight per cent last year. We have a great group of players performing at the highest level and a world-class team developing the next generation of talented players and coaches.

“But my greatest thrill has been working with the many talented people throughout our entire team and indeed the Australian tennis family. It is a tight-knit community with so much passion, talent and commitment to the sport we all love. While I look forward to the challenge at the USTA, my immediate and total focus is clear: delivering a smooth transition and ensuring I leave the sport, the business and the team in the best possible shape.”

As CEO of Tennis Australia since and Australian Open Tournament Director, Tiley has been a globally recognized champion for innovation and player-first initiatives. Under his leadership, the Australian Open continually broke attendance and revenue records, becoming one of the world's most innovative and successful global sporting events.

“Under Craig’s leadership, participation and engagement with our sport has gone from strength to strength,” said Tennis Australia Chair Chris Harrop. “Tennis is very much front of mind for many Australians—from the Hot Shots program and social tennis through to club and competitive play, and the excitement of recent innovations like the One Point Slam.

“The fact that Craig has been selected for one of the biggest roles in global sport is a testament to the strength of our organization.”