As Tennis Australia goes from strength to strength, playing standards continue to slip in poisonous environment

While the aggressive federation is making waves, the players are making headlines for all the wrong reasons

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Bernard Tomic and compatriot Nick Kyrgios are symbolic of Australian tennis’ current state. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:28am, 23 Jan 2019Updated: 11:28am, 23 Jan 2019

Tennis Australia is increasingly the most aggressive federation in the world, venturing into markets in Europe and America. They are investing heavily in team tennis by backing the Laver Cup and launching the ATP Cup in Australian cities next year in direct competition with the revamped 119-year-old Davis Cup, long the crown jewel of the International Tennis Federation.

Boasting the support of Chinese investors Tennis Australia is also claiming credit for the region’s tennis boom.

Although China has more tournaments, the Australian Open, billed as “Asia-Pacific’s grand slam”, remains the world’s biggest event outside London, Paris and New York. Players love it, and fans pay big money to fill arenas.

Fans watch the quarter-final between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Roberto Bautista Agut on day nine of the Australian Open. Photo: EPA

But Australian results on court aren’t keeping pace – apart from Ashleigh Barty, who made the quarter-finals before being soundly beaten by Petra Kvitova on Tuesday.

Remember all the hype about young Aussies taking over tennis? Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, now in their mid-20s, have become malcontents out of the top 50. (They both lost first round matches in Melbourne). Another great hope, former Australian Open junior champion Oliver Anderson, was found guilty of match-fixing and is still serving a 19-month ban for deliberately losing a set.

Australia continues to export some of the world’s best coaches to other countries, helping the rise of Simona Halep and Chinese star Wang Qiang.