Craig Tiley will become the CEO of the US Tennis Association after 13 years at Tennis Australia

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Craig Tiley will take over as the CEO of the U.S. Tennis Association this year, the group that runs the U.S. Open announced Tuesday.

Tiley is leaving his post as the head of Tennis Australia and the tournament director of its Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open.

The USTA said in a news release that Tiley will start the new job in the coming months.

He replaces Lew Sherr, who left the USTA last year to join the New York Mets as their president of business operations. Sher had been the USTA's CEO since 2022.

Tiley, who is from South Africa, was the head coach of men's tennis team at the University of Illinois from 1994 to 2005, including an NCAA championship and 32-0 record in 2003.

He was the Australian Open's tournament director since 2006 and oversaw its expansion to a 15-day event, breaking attendance and revenue records. Tiley became the CEO of Tennis Australia in 2013.

“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,” said Brian Vahaly, the USTA Board chair and the USTA's interim co-CEO.

Tiley said he was looking forward to the challenge of taking over at the USTA, and he remained confident he was leaving the Australian Open in great shape.

“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,” Tiley said. “The sport in Australia is in excellent shape. Tennis is one of the nation’s most popular sports, and participation is growing strongly.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis