U.S. Tennis Association Names Craig Tiley CEO

The United States Tennis Association has named Craig Tiley as its next CEO. Tiley was previously CEO of Tennis Australia, but has also played leadership roles in collegiate coaching, community tennis and the administration of the Australian Open. Tiley will begin works in the coming months, according to the USTA.

“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.”

A native of South Africa, Tiley has deep background in American tennis. He was head coach of the University of Illinois men’s tennis team from 1994 to 2005, leading the team to the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2003 with a 32–0 record. He 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.

“I am truly honored to step into the role of CEO of the USTA later this year,” Tiley 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. 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.”

During his tenure as CEO in Australia since 2013, tennis became the second most participated sport behind soccer in the country. Under his leadership, the Australian Open broke attendance and revenue records, becoming one of the world’s most innovative and successful global sporting events.

Tiley joins the USTA in a time of sustained growth, tennis participation reaching a new high of 27.3 million players in 2025 – the sixth consecutive year of growth for the game in the United States.