By Richard Pagliaro Thursday, January 22, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/Rolex
President of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley There’s a vision for the high-tech future of the Australian Open.
The air space around Rod Laver Arena can get very crowded.
Drones delivering food and drinks to fans are part of Tiley’s plan, as is a clean canvas on the court without the referee.
The Australian Financial Review’s Ross Durkin reports Tiley has shared his plans to overhaul the Melbourne Grand Slam, which if completed would make it the biggest Grand Slam event in tennis.
Tiley’s AO renovation project calls for a new stadium that would replace traditional seats with pod-style seats and use drones to offer fans the chance to order beer without leaving their seats.
“There’s nothing like having 20 people in a row and your seat is number 21 and you’re standing with something in both hands and everyone has to stand up and lean back and you walk sideways and try not to spill anything, so that has to change as well,” Tilley said in comments published in the Australian Financial Review.
“So build a new stadium with pod-style seating so you can get in and out of your own six- or eight-person pod, you walk into the venue, you’ve purchased your ticket and that’s your last transaction. Your security has been checked and you don’t even know what’s going on because that’s probably when you leave the hotel.”
The 2026 Australian Open has broken attendance records so far this month.
The event also made some technical improvements, including the installation of red lights on the side of the net posts and the referee’s seat, which will light up when a shot hits the ground.
Tiley wanted to eliminate all officials from the field to create a more dramatic atmosphere and shift the focus to the players.
The AO chief believes the event will evolve into a more dramatic spectacle, citing Osaka’s dramatic entrance in full ivory outfit, hat and veil as the direction he sees the Melbourne Major following in the future.
“Naomi was a great example of last night and the beginning of this journey,” Tilley said. “My ultimate goal is to not referee on the pitch, it’s all done behind the scenes.
“Having a conductor in front of the net, maybe in the box, is like part of the show, so it’s just a battle of two people, with the focus being on the sky, the sea and the blue of Melbourne, Australia, as much of the world is plunged into white, snow and cold weather.”
The Australian Open is known as the most popular event among the four Grand Slam tournaments. It will be interesting to see whether Tilley can realize his dream of using technology to revolutionize the game.
A good start would include returning printable draw and printable order of play functionality to the official Australian Open website.
