“It would have been gone by 2017”: Craig Tiley reveals Melbourne nearly lost the Australian Open

Craig Tiley has revealed that Melbourne was on the verge of losing the Australian Open in the mid-2010s, stating the tournament “would have been gone by 2017” without decisive government intervention. His remarks come just days after confirmation that he will step down as CEO of Tennis Australia to become the new head of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

The timing gives added significance to his comments. After nearly two decades overseeing the growth and commercial expansion of the season’s first Grand Slam, Tiley reflected on a period when Melbourne’s grip on the event was far from secure. At that stage, rival cities were actively exploring the possibility of taking over hosting rights.

Today, the tournament appears firmly embedded at Melbourne Park, where the 2026 edition drew more than 1.3 million spectators across qualifying and main draw. Over the past decade, the event has generated close to $3.5 billion for the Victorian economy, reinforcing its status as one of the state’s flagship sporting assets.

But behind that stability lies a chapter of uncertainty. With the hosting contract expiring in 2016 and growing international interest, the Australian Open’s long-term future in Melbourne once depended on infrastructure commitments and political backing.

Speculation intensified in the late 2000s and early 2010s that the tournament could relocate, with Sydney and Shanghai among the cities linked to potential bids. The expiration of the Victorian Government agreement created leverage for competing markets eager to secure a Grand Slam event.

Speaking on SEN’s Whateley, Tiley was direct about the stakes involved. “If there was not an investment by the Victorian Government in the further redevelopment, it would have been gone by 2017. Contract was up in 2016, and there was a great deal of interest from the city of Sydney, from the city of Shanghai. And you can see today why there was a great deal of interest with the impact that it has on the city.”

The turning point came in 2010 with a $363 million redevelopment commitment at Melbourne Park, the first stage of a broader precinct transformation. That initial investment ultimately expanded into a billion-dollar upgrade designed to modernise facilities and reinforce the tournament’s global standing.

“So, the Victorian government made a very good decision back then to make an investment, and there’s a billion-dollar investment that was made in the precinct. Half of it was specifically for tennis players; the other half was a general upgrade to the precinct. So that was close.”

The redevelopment strengthened player amenities and spectator infrastructure, factors that proved decisive in maintaining Melbourne’s competitiveness as a host city.

The relocation scare was not the only period when Melbourne’s hold on the Australian Open faced pressure. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament’s continuity was again in doubt as Australia imposed strict border controls and quarantine measures.

Tennis Australia committed its entire $80 million cash reserve and secured a $40 million loan to stage the delayed 2021 edition. Chartered flights were arranged to transport players and support staff into the country, ensuring the event could proceed despite global travel disruption.

Tiley described that period as another defining test for the tournament’s stability. “And then during Covid, we were reminded (that) when not running an event changes the event.”

With Australia geographically distant from the sport’s traditional power bases in Europe and North America, Tiley warned that skipping even one edition could have altered long-term perceptions among players.

“It was really important to get that going because that could have been a moment when, again, if the Australian Open didn’t happen, the players can point to the difficulty of the distance," he expanded on that concern. "And not having it for one or two of the COVID years would have negatively impacted (the tournament). So, we were very focused and very fortunate we had a government that very clearly understood that if it didn’t happen, it’s going to be a problem.”

The Australian Open is now contracted to remain in Melbourne until 2046. As Tiley prepares to relocate to the United States and assume leadership of the USTA, his reflections underline how precarious the tournament’s position once was — and how close Melbourne came to losing its Grand Slam altogether.