Andrew Abdo, the new tournament director for the Australian Open, faced criticism after mistakenly referring to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner as “Jacob Sinner.” This error occurred during his remarks at the launch of the 2027 tournament, where he addressed staff, press, and sponsors. Abdo, who recently took over from Craig Tiley as both the Chief Executive of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open director, later corrected himself at a press conference, stating, “Of course I know that it’s Jannik Sinner.”
Read More
This misstep followed a controversial comment he made at a conference last month about the potential shortening of men’s matches from the traditional best-of-five sets. His remarks triggered significant backlash, leading the Australian Open’s official social media account to clarify that “five-set tennis is here to stay.”
During the launch event, Abdo expressed that his lack of extensive tennis experience could bring a fresh perspective to the tournament. He stated, “I think I bring a fresh perspective, energy and new ideas. I’m not an outsider to leading in sport.”
He confirmed that both Sinner and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz will participate in the 'One-Point Slam', a quickfire event introduced in 2025 featuring top players competing against amateurs for a prize of 1 million Australian dollars (£527,000). Each match lasts just one point, and players do not receive a second serve. This year, amateur Jordan Smith defeated Sinner to win the event.
Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have also confirmed their involvement in the One-Point Slam, which will take place prior to the tournament. Additionally, Abdo announced plans to limit day pass tickets to manage crowd sizes, following last year's record of over 1.3 million tickets sold, which led to complaints about long queues. He emphasized the importance of enhancing the fan experience, saying, “We want to continue working with the government to create more space in this precinct so that we don’t have to cap crowds.”