"Tennis in Aus is gonna die": Pat Cash offers bleak perspective on current state of the sport in Australia
ATPTuesday, 26 May 2026 at 12:00
Pat Cash offered a pretty bleak perspective on the current state of tennis in Australia especially at the grassroots level as Craig Tiley's successor was confirmed to be Andrew Abdo who has previously worked in the NRL.
The former Wimbledon champion even said that a player said that tennis in Australia was going to die if there isn't a complete change in the priorities of the tennis authorities.
De Minaur who is the top Aussie in the sport overall was pleased with the appointment in regards to giving him a chance but for Cash, it was more of a spiky subject. Abdo has been lauded for taking Rugby League from strength to strength.
Such high praise that a former commission chair said that Superman and Jesus together couldn't replace him and now he is tasked with arresting a slide in Aussie tennis with Nick Kyrgios mostly now out of the picture and De Minaur as well as Maya Joint as their leading lights struggling.
"Can an NRL commercial exec fix the heart and soul of Oz tennis? I wish Andrew the best of luck," said Cash on Instagram.
"Has he been drawn into the glitz and glamour of the AO beer sales and one-point tennis matches, or is he gonna work on saving the heart and soul of Australian tennis?
De Minaur and Hijikata unsure about new appointment
"After all, there are 49 other weeks to the year. I keep hearing participation is up? Compared to when?? Reality is, club tennis and competition has been dying for decades!!'
"Local coaches are exhausted and fed up, clubs are going broke, junior results are the worst in history. Priorities of @tennisaustralia need a complete 180 turnaround or as one tour player told me today, 'tennis in Aus is gonna die."
Speaking from the French Open, De Minaur said that he is excited to see the vision of a sport that in his country he helps to anchor as their top pro. 'It's something that's come overnight. I don't know him personally,' Alex de Minaur said.
'I'm sure I would love to get to know him and learn a little bit more about what he's keen to do or what his vision is for Tennis Australia.'
Alex de Minaur is Australia's top player.
'Of course, we had Craig for a long time, who I thought did an incredible job. Tennis Australia is a really strong federation.
'In the whole performance phase, we've done a pretty good job over the last couple of years, about showing strength in numbers, especially in the men's side in the top 100.
'There's definitely places we can grow, and I'm excited to see what the vision is going to be.'
While Rinky Hijikata was less sure about what was happening and even being an NRL fan, he wasn't sure what he brought to it. "My guess is probably as good as yours. From what I've heard, is he's done well with the NRL, and I'm a Parramatta Eels supporter, so I follow the NRL, but I haven't paid too much attention to what he's done in the league.
Albeit he joked he might use it to his gain. "But the Eels are playing in Las Vegas next year, so maybe I'll see if maybe he can get me a few tickets for next year's game!'
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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