New Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo has copped a brutal roasting from around the globe after two embarrassing gaffes at a function at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.
Speaking at the Australian Open launch, Abdo’s introduction to the tennis world could not have gone any worse, failing to correctly annunciate two of the game’s household names.
“If you want to know what I’m really excited for, we are going to be hosting not only the world’s best current players, but I think some amazing emerging rivalries,” Abdo said at the event …. OK, that was delivered without a hitch.
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But then ….
“Whether it’s Carlos Alcaraz against Jacob (sic) Sinner …,” (oh dear) … “or whether it’s the power of Robakina (sic) against the ferocity of Sabalenka, or maybe it’s one of our new up-and-coming Aussie superstars who’s going to go deep into the tournament.” … ouch.
Of course, Abdo was actually talking about injured Italian star Jannik Sinner (not Jacob … never was, never will be), and he also was referring to Elena Rybakina …. certainly not “Robakina”.
And if poor old Abdo thought he was going to get away with it, he was sadly mistaken, especially when high-profile tennis writer José Morgado caught wind of it and blasted it out to his 275,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter).
“Australian Open’s new tournament director is excited to welcome JACOB Sinner and ROBAKINA in 2027!” Morgado said.
And, yes, the floodgates did open.
Tennis legend and former world No.1 Boris Becker was stunned.
“What ….that just didn’t happen …,” Becker said to his 532,000 followers.
While a fan said: “He’s having an absolute mare, not even had an edition of the Australian Open with him yet and he’s already bombed in the press twice.”
The Talkn (Australian) Tennis podcast said: “As an Aussie we are not liking this bloke.”
And another: “Future Is looking grim for Australian tennis and the Aussie open if this is the best they could do for tournament director . Yikes!!”
He did receive some sympathy, however, albeit token sympathy.
“I think it’s pretty harsh to criticise him for how he pronounced Rybakina … it’s a very Australian way of saying her name. As for Jannik becoming Jacob,.. that’s harder to defend but even that like, I’m pretty sure he knows their names,” one fan said.
Abdo was the NRL’s former CEO but quit at the end of May this year.
He was then announced as the CEO of Tennis Australia, replacing Craig Tiley who had stepped down in February to become head of the US Tennis Association.
– With AAP
