{"id":254814,"date":"2025-11-01T05:45:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T05:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/254814\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T05:45:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T05:45:16","slug":"code-violation-tennis-australia-under-fire-from-ousted-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/254814\/","title":{"rendered":"Code violation? Tennis Australia under fire from ousted officials"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe were not terminated for misconduct but because we exercised our lawful right to represent our colleagues. That is retaliation, plain and simple. Officials shouldn\u2019t lose their jobs just for speaking up for fairness.\u201d<\/p>\n

The officials include two of the longest-serving and best-known umpires in Australian tennis.<\/p>\n

United States-based Cannavan was in the chair for an Australian Open women\u2019s singles semi-final when Ash Barty won the title in 2022, and made news in March when men\u2019s world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz argued with him about the shot clock during a match at the Miami Masters.<\/p>\n

\"Simon<\/p>\n

Simon Cannavan umpires a match at the US Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas, in April.Credit: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Caswell, who lives in Sydney, has umpired multiple generations of top players, from Lleyton Hewitt to his emerging son Cruz. She also worked as a line judge at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 and as a chair umpire at the Paralympics in London in 2012.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live in America but I\u2019ve always considered myself an Australian official, and I joined the board to help the Australian officials have a voice,\u201d Cannavan said. \u201cThis is how Tennis Australia treats people who speak out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caswell said she was heartbroken. \u201cAll we were doing was literally telling the truth. Members came to us with issues they wanted addressed and we raised these issues,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only joined the board to try and help make things better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goode, who worked at 20 Australian Opens before having his credentials withdrawn, said \u201cpeople [are] literally scared to pick up the phone and see how we are\u201d, fearing reprisal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand because if anyone speaks up, they\u2019ll withdraw them from [tournaments],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Tennis<\/p>\n

Tennis relies on chair umpires and other officiating personnel for events from grand slam level to regional Australia and junior competitions.Credit: Getty Images (Image has been altered)<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia said in a statement it had not terminated the officials\u2019 memberships in retaliation for their raising concerns on behalf of the officiating community, and it said it welcomed \u201crespectful and constructive feedback from all members of the community\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cTennis Australia terminated the officiating membership of four individuals because an external investigation found that they had acted in breach of their membership terms of conditions and it was apparent that their behaviours over several months were having a detrimental impact on others,\u201d Tennis Australia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that being a tennis official goes beyond promoting sportsmanship and fair play. It\u2019s about serving the game and nurturing its legacy, so tennis will continue to thrive for generations to come. Our community has been and always will be built on the values of integrity, mutual respect and inclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The newsletters<\/p>\n

The four Tennis Officials Australia directors were informed by Tennis Australia they had breached their membership conditions by \u201cnot acting in a professional manner\u201d and \u201cnot promoting and supporting TA\u2019s programs and activities to the greatest extent practicable\u201d.<\/p>\n

At issue, according to Tennis Australia, were five newsletters sent by the Tennis Officials Australia board to its members between June 19 and September 11 this year.<\/p>\n

\u2018I just fell apart and I started crying. The female players stopped and said, \u201cAre you OK?\u201c.\u2019<\/p>\n

Marija Lentic, tennis match official<\/p>\n

Two of the memorandums, sent after attempts by Tennis Officials Australia to engage with Tennis Australia on key issues, questioned the fairness and transparency of the process of selecting match officials for tournaments, including the Australian Open. Members were also told \u201cour confidence in TA\u2019s new group is limited\u201d and that \u201cTA only hears what they want to hear\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvidence gathered by TOA indicates an entrenched, systemic bias in selections that cannot be reconciled with merit-based decision-making,\u201d the September 11 newsletter read.<\/p>\n

\u201cMultiple credible reports describe selection processes being effectively \u2018rigged\u2019 \u2013 selectors rigging the process to select themselves, their friends and allies, while excluding officials they don\u2019t like.\u201d <\/p>\n

The newsletters were also used to report that \u201clocal personnel matters\u201d in South Australia had been raised in June with Tennis Australia, a veiled reference to bullying claims Tennis Officials Australia said were uncovered during interviews conducted with 60 per cent of active officials in the state.<\/p>\n

Another note on August 1 said Tennis Australia had been \u201cattempting to control member communications\u201d and accused it of \u201ccoercive conduct toward TOA leadership\u201d, while safety concerns related to parking at night and accommodation were also floated.<\/p>\n

In legal letters sent last month, lawyers for Tennis Officials Australia declared its directors had engaged in lawful industrial activity by raising complaints and inquiries about Tennis Australia with members and by using a newsletter to discuss working conditions of officials.<\/p>\n

Mak, who took over a new-look board this year, also denied a claim she had yelled and acted aggressively during a meeting with Tennis Australia director of pathways and tennis services Lawrence Robertson and two other Tennis Australia staff on May 27.<\/p>\n

\"Melbourne<\/p>\n

Melbourne barrister Karen Mak took over as chair of the Tennis Officials Australia board this year.Credit: <\/p>\n

She alleged she received a hostile reception from the start, and Robertson, a former chief executive of Tennis NSW, said Tennis Australia wanted to vet Tennis Officials Australia\u2019s communications to members.<\/p>\n

Robertson was unhappy about a May 4 newsletter in which Tennis Officials Australia expressed disappointment at Tennis Australia\u2019s \u201capparent unwillingness to engage with the board\u201d.<\/p>\n

In communicating the sanctions on October 7, Tennis Australia chief tennis officer Tom Larner told directors their actions had caused \u201cdemonstrable mental distress to several TA employees\u201d and were \u201ca health and safety risk that must be addressed by TA\u201d.<\/p>\n

While Larner said the governing body had \u201cno issue\u201d with Tennis Officials Australia sending updates to officials, even when it had differing views, the directors\u2019 accreditation was being stripped due to the \u201cmanner in which you have conveyed certain information\u201d.<\/p>\n

But Tennis Australia chief legal officer Jacquie Quinn had, in earlier correspondence, made clear that Tennis Officials Australia\u2019s newsletters \u201cshould not include content criticising TA or individuals who have roles in the tennis officiating community\u201d or \u201cconfidential matters involving TA, TA officiating members or TA team members\u201d.<\/p>\n

In response to questions from this masthead, Tennis Australia said \u201cit took the welfare of everyone involved in our sport seriously\u201d and it had established several confidential ways for people to speak out and make reports, including a 24-hour telephone service, an online form and an email address.<\/p>\n

Asked about selection, Tennis Australia said there was a rigorous process for choosing officials for tournaments, with selection panels using a range of objective and subjective criteria such as qualifications, number of events worked, commitment to professional development, performance evaluations, and alignment to Tennis Australia\u2019s expected behaviours and values.<\/p>\n

It said it had not received a Fair Work Commission complaint.<\/p>\n

The bullying claims<\/p>\n

Tennis Officials Australia presented Tennis Australia with a 30-page report in June that centred on allegations against a staffer based in Adelaide, where ATP and WTA tour events are held before the Australian Open.<\/p>\n

Based on confidential interviews with 14 match officials, the alleged conduct included bullying and victimisation of officials, hostile and dismissive behaviour, a conflict of interest with selection, and a breach of well-being duties.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia was warned in the report it risked breaching its own code of conduct and member protection policy if it failed to act, and that it may also be \u201cvicariously liable for the person\u2019s conduct\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mak said the report had initially been downplayed by Tennis Australia, which told Tennis Officials Australia it did not believe its role was to carry out investigations into the conduct or performance of staff.<\/p>\n

But Mak said after she sent it to Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley, an independent investigation was carried out by Azuhr Consulting.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia said: \u201cFollowing an independent investigation, it was determined that on a whole, bullying did not occur.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Adelaide-based<\/p>\n

Adelaide-based tennis official Marija Lentic.Credit: <\/p>\n

Among the officials to make bullying allegations was Marija Lentic, twice named official of the year in South Australia and a member of Sport SA\u2019s women\u2019s sport working group.<\/p>\n

She lodged formal complaints with Tennis Australia alleging the employee referred to her as \u201cunstable\u201d in conversation with officials, told her off in front of others for bringing cake to a morning tea to welcome trainee officials, and belittled her in front of a tournament referee, telling her to \u201cstop your whinging\u201d.<\/p>\n

Lentic said when she learnt on the second day of the Australian Open in January that she had been called unstable, she was so distressed she left immediately without telling her roommate and flew home.<\/p>\n

The Azuhr Consulting investigator substantiated that allegation but Lentic was informed last month, while some of the behaviour could be categorised as \u201cinsults\u201d or \u201cteasing\u201d, Tennis Australia did not consider the conduct amounted to bullying.<\/p>\n

After taking a break, Lentic said she had not been selected for the 2026 Australian Open for the first time in 15 years \u2013 but that she had been chosen for the Adelaide International, where the employee she had made allegations about was also due to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know I can\u2019t do that,\u201d she said. \u201cI withdrew.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lentic made a separate complaint of systemic bullying against another Tennis Australia official, alleging verbal abuse and harassment starting in 2012, including an incident at a women\u2019s professional event in Adelaide six years ago.<\/p>\n

She said she had suffered a panic attack, curled up in the foetal position and broken down in tears when the official allegedly yelled at her to get back on the court and told her to get a mental health assessment after she said she was uncomfortable calling \u201ccross lines\u201d.<\/p>\n

After making her way to the court, she said one of the players noticed how upset she was and stopped play and consoled her. \u201cI just fell apart and I started crying. The female players stopped and said, \u2018Are you OK?\u2019,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia told Lentic it would not investigate the complaint because of the nature of the allegations, the time that had passed and because they did not still work for the organisation.<\/p>\n

Lentic said she was still traumatised by the 2019 incident, and others had witnessed her alleged bullying by the official over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no doubt that these officials were also fearful of speaking up to assist me as the officials did not want to jeopardise their own officiating selection chances, nor did the incidents affect the officials directly at the time,\u201d she wrote in her complaint to Tennis Australia.<\/p>\n

It was not the first time such issues had been brought to Tennis Australia.<\/p>\n

Stephen Gibson, a former ITF-certified match referee and trainer of officials, based on the NSW Central Coast, raised concerns in 2021 about a long-standing \u201catmosphere of bullying and intimidation\u201d in the management of officiating, and a lack of trust in the delivery of training and development.<\/p>\n

\u201dMany are prepared to just walk away as the overwhelming feeling is that if they express their concern to management, they will struggle to get appointments to events and any development opportunities will cease,\u201d Gibson wrote to the Tennis Australia board and state tennis bodies.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia appointed Deloitte to conduct an investigation in June 2021. Its report, handed over six months later, found no inappropriate workplace behaviour.<\/p>\n

For the love of the game<\/p>\n

A commercial colossus, the Australian Open is the biggest economic generator in Australian sport, according to Tennis Australia, whose most recent annual report said it created $533 million in benefits to the Victorian economy in 2024.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s tournament had $96 million in prize money, including $3.5 million each for men\u2019s and women\u2019s singles winners Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Australian Open is one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not only the players who are paid handsomely. According to documents lodged annually with the US Internal Revenue Service and published by non-profit news site ProPublica, Tiley earned $US1.3 million ($2 million) in the year to September 2024, making him Australia\u2019s top-paid sports executive alongside AFL chief Andrew Dillon.<\/p>\n

According to the tax filings, chief strategy and performance officer Timothy Jolley took home $1.2 million, chief commercial officer Cedric Cornelis collected $960,000, and Tom Larner earned $800,000 over the same period.<\/p>\n

By contrast, most umpires and other tournament officials, many of whom are over the age of 60, are paid as casuals or as a hobby.<\/p>\n

A match assistant, who supports a chair umpire with on-court matters and stands ready to call lines if the electronic line system falters, is paid about $300 a day at the Australian Open, plus flights and accommodation if they are from interstate.<\/p>\n

The fees are less for lower-level pro events and at regional or junior tournaments.<\/p>\n

Goode, who has never played tennis but got into officiating after his son became a ball boy, said they didn\u2019t do it for the money.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I work in Adelaide and do 12- to 14-hour days \u2026 you wouldn\u2019t do that unless you loved it. You get more than that at McDonald\u2019s,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re an official on Rod Laver Arena and [Novak] Djokovic is playing \u2026 money can\u2019t buy that experience, even if you\u2019re just changing the balls. Just to be part of a grand slam it\u2019s such a privilege.\u201d <\/p>\n

Under a 15-year memorandum of understanding signed in 2015, Tennis Officials Australia\u2019s responsibility was to provide advice and assistance on issues related to officials, including pay and working conditions, selection processes, welfare and training and development.<\/p>\n

Loading<\/p>\n

But after Tennis Australia expressed disapproval of newsletter content, ceased permitting use of its database to contact officials and changed the process by which people could join the representative body, Tennis Officials Australia terminated the agreement in August.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia denied it had acted in a retaliatory way and, according to Mak, it falsely sought to shift blame onto Tennis Officials Australia for the relationship breakdown.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia said: \u201cTOA let us know that they intended to operate as a member body separately and independently to TA as the governing body. At this point we advised them that they would need to manage their own membership process so that TOA could meet their own constitutional requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia has announced the formation of a new national officiating advisory group composed of seven other officials. The directors of Tennis Officials Australia, meanwhile, have been left on the outer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been involved for decades. I\u2019ve worked a lot, just because I loved it,\u201d Caswell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo suddenly be told I can\u2019t work is a massive shock. It\u2019s a little overwhelming right now.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cannavan said \u201cdeep pockets shouldn\u2019t silence the people who make the game possible\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t join the board for power or money,\u201d he said. \u201cWe joined because we love tennis and wanted to make officiating better for everyone. Tennis Australia calls it the Happy Slam but it\u2019s anything but happy inside.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe were not terminated for misconduct but because we exercised our lawful right to represent our colleagues. That…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254815,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565],"tags":[64,63,85,747],"class_list":["post-254814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}