"50% of the experience will be different," Craig Tiley announces changes for the 2026 Australian Open
This year, the Australian Open crowned Jannik Sinner in the men's draw and Madison Keys in the women's draw. From January 12 to February 1, 2026, the world's best players will return to Melbourne Park to compete for the first Grand Slam title of the season.
Having served as tournament director since 2006, Craig Tiley will soon celebrate his 20th year at the helm of the Australian Open. In any case, the South African executive has promised changes for the 2026 edition, as he himself confirmed in recent hours.
However, the controversial mixed doubles format recently adopted at the US Open will not be implemented in Melbourne at the start of next year.
"I can say that 50% of the experience will be different compared to this year. That is our goal. I think fans will love the changes, but there will also be new features for the players.
The US Open’s mixed doubles format was a great initiative. We won’t be implementing it because we have other priorities, but what they did in New York was fantastic.
Three-week Grand Slams like this year’s US Open are what we need in tennis. Different and new things. Seeing men and women playing together was a great opportunity to promote all of that.
In Australia, we have the United Cup, a ten-day competition that is our mixed-gender tennis showcase. People want to see spectacle and entertainment.
You can see that it works. The stakes are high, the competition is fierce, and the prize money is significant. We’re responding to what the fans are asking for, which should happen more often," Craig Tiley told Clay.
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