Pat Cash has delivered a stark warning about the state of grassroots tennis in Australia, telling new Tennis Australia boss Andrew Abdo to focus on “saving the heart and soul” after being told by a tour player that “tennis in Aus is gonna die.”
Pat Cash didn’t mince words on Monday.
The former Wimbledon champion used Instagram to send a dire message about the state of grassroots tennis in Australia, urging the incoming Tennis Australia boss, Andrew Abdo, to change course before the sport loses what makes it matter at the local level.
Cash said he’d been told by a tour player that “tennis in Aus is gonna die” if there isn’t a complete shift in how tennis authorities set their priorities. Abdo. who takes over from long-serving Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley after Abdo’s resignation as NRL chief executive. has been widely praised for his impact on rugby league. But Cash’s focus was on something far more delicate: the participation pipeline that keeps club tennis and junior competition alive.
“Can an NRL commercial exec fix the heart and soul of Oz tennis?. I wish Andrew the best of luck,” Cash wrote. He also questioned whether Abdo would be pulled into the “glitz and glamour of the AO beer sales and one-point tennis matches. ” or whether he would spend the rest of the year working on the deeper foundations of the sport.
Cash’s complaint was blunt and time-stamped. He said he keeps hearing that participation is up, but asked, “Compared to when??” Then he moved to what he described as the sport’s real decline.
“Reality is, club tennis and competition has been dying for decades!!” Cash wrote. He added that local coaches are “exhausted and fed up,” clubs are “going broke,” and “junior results are the worst in history.”
For Cash, this isn’t about one appointment or one event. He said the priorities at Tennis Australia need a “complete 180 turnaround,” and he pointed to the warning he said he received from a touring player today—“tennis in Aus is gonna die.”
While Cash’s tone was gloomy, the reaction among some players at the French Open in Paris was more tentative. When the news of Abdo’s appointment broke. it came as a surprise to at least a couple of Australian players who told AAP they didn’t know who Abdo was. Alex de Minaur, Australia’s No.1 tennis player, said he was left pleased by the news.
“I’m excited to see what the vision is going to be” for the sport Abdo would bring, de Minaur said.
“Of course, we had Craig for a long time, who I thought did an incredible job. Tennis Australia is a really strong federation,” de Minaur continued. “In the whole performance phase. we’ve done a pretty good job over the last couple of years. about showing strength in numbers. especially in the men’s side in the top 100.”.
De Minaur added that there are “definitely places we can grow,” and said he was “excited to see what the vision is going to be.”
Asked what Abdo might bring, Rinky Hijikata—one of six Australian men in the top 100—was equally measured. “My guess is probably as good as yours,” he said. He admitted he had heard Abdo had “done well with the NRL. ” and noted that he follows the league as a Parramatta Eels supporter. but said he hadn’t “paid too much attention” to what Abdo has done in rugby league.
He then joked about what he’d be watching for next. “But the Eels are playing in Las Vegas next year, so maybe I’ll see if maybe he can get me a few tickets for next year’s game!”
Abdo’s move to Tennis Australia comes after his shock resignation from his NRL CEO role. a position he has held for more than six years. His appointment has also been underlined by the league world. Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V’landys suggested Abdo’s influence had been so large that only “Superman and Jesus added together” could possibly replace him.
On the court, that contrast is already landing in different ways. De Minaur sounded ready to learn what Abdo’s plan is. Cash, however, urged the new boss to focus on grassroots tennis with urgency—before the sport’s participation base continues to fray.
Cash’s message ends with a deadline that feels less like a slogan and more like a warning: “After all, there are 49 other weeks to the year.” In his view, if club and junior tennis are truly struggling “for decades,” then the next question isn’t who took the top job—it’s what changes first.
Pat Cash Tennis Australia Andrew Abdo Craig Tiley Alex de Minaur Rinky Hijikata grassroots tennis Wimbledon champion French Open NRL CEO Peter V'landys club tennis junior tennis