Tennis Australia CEO suggests Grand Slam rule changes

Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo has proposed potential changes to Grand Slam formats and scoring systems to better engage younger audiences. Speaking at the SportNXT conference, Abdo suggested that the sport must evolve to remain competitive in the entertainment market, noting that failing to modernize could result in tennis being “left behind.”

Abdo’s suggestions include exploring different match durations, such as potentially reducing best-of-five sets in men’s singles, or altering the point-scoring system. He emphasized the need to find permutations that entertain without losing the “fabric” of the sport. These comments follow a period of declining depth in Australian youth development within the ATP and WTA tours.

His vision contrasts with previous suggestions from his predecessor, Craig Tiley, who had proposed introducing best-of-five sets for women’s competition at the Australian Open from the quarter-finals onward. Abdo, a former NRL CEO, is working toward his first Australian Open as head in January 2027.