- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Lleyton Hewitt put Tennis Australia on notice while Paul McNamee declared the winds of change were blowing as the fallout from the controversial re-election of long-serving president Geoff Pollard continued.
Hewitt, the only Australian men’s player currently ranked in the world’s top 80, slammed the re-appointment of Pollard, who defeated ex-Australian Open boss McNamee for the job on Monday.
The two-time grand slam winner said tennis in the country had faltered badly under Pollard’s watch and immediate change was needed.
McNamee is yet to decide whether to run again for the presidency in 12 months’ time but Hewitt said the current administration needed to act now and correct past mistakes in order to halt the sport’s alarming slide in Australia.
“For me, the only way forward right at the moment is change and you have to start with change at the top,” Hewitt told the Macquarie Radio Network on Tuesday.
“They have got to open their eyes now and have a good look at themselves and see where the sport is going.
“Hopefully by me coming out and voicing my opinion, at least Tennis Australia is going to be put on notice and people are actually going to be looking at the results that we have over the next year.”
Pollard has promised he will only stay on in the job for one more year before stepping down, citing the need to complete negotiations over the redevelopment of Melbourne Park – the home of the Australian Open.
But McNamee said Pollard was kidding himself if he thought the redevelopment was the major issue facing the game in Australia.
“It (his campaign for re-election) should have been more about the sport than developments at Melbourne Park but he chose to take it in that direction and I was a little disappointed,” McNamee said.
“He was talking about Melbourne Park – I worked with the Victorian Government on stage two, a massive $50 million development.
“I know the last four Premiers personally … it would have been in safe hands with me.
“The issues raised by Lleyton Hewitt and a number of former players are real issues that aren’t going away.
“The real issues, the number of players we don’t have, the drop in participation, the coaches that are feeling they haven’t got that motivation to produce players because they feel their players are taken away – these are the deep and important issues in the sport.”
McNamee said a long talk with Hewitt during this year’s US Open in New York confirmed his worst fears about the sport.
“He was sick of being on the tour and not having one friend out there,” McNamee said.
“It’s real. I went to three tournaments last year where there were no Australians.
“We know there’s an issue and we got on the same page.”
While gutted that his attempt to dethrone Pollard fell just short, McNamee hoped his campaign, which was strongly backed by Hewitt, had at least scared the current administration into gear.
“I think the winds of change are starting to blow through,” he said.
“I think sport was the winner.
“It wasn’t about me or the presidency.
“It was about the sport accepting we have issues and we need to deal with them.”
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.