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New Australian Open tournament director criticised for ‘Jacob Sinner’ gaffe

Freshly appointed tournament chief Andrew Abdo has kicked off his tenure with a notable blunder by mistakenly calling top-ranked champion Jannik Sinner by the name Jacob during a promotional event. The former rugby league executive, who has stepped into the joint role of Tennis Australia CEO and Melbourne tournament boss, later corrected his slip during a media session.

During the same presentation, Abdo outlined various adjustments for the upcoming 2027 competition, including attendance limits on daily passes to ease congestion following record-breaking crowds the previous year. He also confirmed that leading stars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and Sinner have committed to participating in the pre-tournament One-Point Slam exhibition.

Prior to this launch, Abdo sparked considerable debate by floating the idea of reducing men's matches to three sets, though organizers quickly reaffirmed that traditional five-set matches remain secure.

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