Andrew Abdo, the new Australian Open tournament director and Tennis Australia CEO, began his tenure with a notable gaffe, referring to two-time champion and world No 1 Jannik Sinner as “Jacob Sinner” during the launch of the 2027 tournament. Abdo, who previously served as NRL chief executive, later stated at a press conference, “Of course I know that it’s Jannik Sinner.”
This misstep follows earlier controversy when Abdo suggested shortening men’s matches from the best-of-five sets format, a proposal that sparked widespread alarm before the Australian Open’s social media accounts confirmed that “five-set tennis is here to stay.”
Abdo also confirmed that Sinner and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz have committed to playing in the 'One-Point Slam', a popular quickfire event introduced in 2025. This event, which pits top players against amateurs for a 1m Australian dollar prize, will take place before the main tournament. Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have also confirmed their participation.
To address overcrowding issues, Abdo announced plans to cap day pass tickets. This decision comes after more than 1.3 million tickets were sold for last year’s event, leading to complaints about long queues. Abdo stated the aim is to ensure fans have a good experience with manageable queues.