“We’re going to go well beyond being a tennis organization”: Craig Tiley on Tennis Australia’s future. By Lachlan Wills

Craig Tiley says his dream is for Tennis Australia to “converge to a more tech type company” that grows its global platform and uses virtual and augmented reality to captivate fans around the world.

Tennis Australia has its own venture capital fund that is investing in tech companies, and trailing new technologies.

“I see us have a complete transformational experience for our fans as far as coming on site and I see the complete convergence between augmented reality, between virtual reality and your experience at home as a fan where it’s almost the same as your experience in the precinct,” Tiley told The Ministry of Sport Podcast.

“Now all of a sudden we’re going from a million people coming on site to a billion people that feel like they’re on site.”

Tiley famously brought in-house the media rights, sponsorship deal-making, and merchandising when he took over as CEO.

The self-ownership model has seen Tennis Australia’s media rights and sponsorship revenue triple, and attendance revenue more than double.

Tiley says ownership will again play a role in the AO’s tech play.

“That requires strong technology and that’s what we’re building with our tech capability.

“We’re investing millions in this year, so we can be in the forefront of that. I also see us delivering on our next five-year Fit for Growth and Game On strategies around growing the game, getting more people to play and love the game, and using a lot of tech to do that.”

Tiley says he sees a future where Tennis Australia become more than just tennis.

“I see a complete convergence, the connectivity of people that play the game, watch the game, and they’re in sport and people are going to be surprised about, oh, Tennis Australia does that? I thought it was just a tennis organisation.

“We’re going to go well beyond being a tennis organisation.”

To hear more of Craig Tiley’s insights into the future of tennis, the vital role of women in sport, the next sports tech revolution, and how the AO has become the world leader, you can listen to The Ministry of Sport Podcast.