New Australian Open director Andrew Abdo commits avoidable gaffe at press conference

The tennis world is gearing up for the next Grand Slam on the schedule, the 2027 Australian Open.

This will be a transition year for the Melbourne tournament as longtime tournament director Craig Tiley left after last year’s tournament to become the US Open tournament director.

Andrew Abdo is taking the reins, and judging by his recent press conference, he is off to a rough start.

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Jan 30, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Jannik Sinner of Italy in action against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the semifinals of the men’s singles at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

Pronouncing athletes’ names is a daunting task, but one that requires practice before going out in public.

This is especially true if those players happen to be former Australian Open champions, Jannik Sinner and Elena Rybakina.

Abdo called Sinner “Jacob Sinner.” While some have struggled with Rybakina’s name, it does not usually come out as “Robakina.”

Let’s hope this is the worst of it, and the planning and execution of the tournament go much more smoothly than the pronunciation of names at this press conference.

The 2027 Australian Open begins January 11 and runs through January 31. Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina will be looking to repeat their 2026 successes.

Sinner may make his return to the ATP Tour in Melbourne, and it could be the first time in more than six months that fans could see Sinner and Alcaraz competing in the same tournament.