Latest news with #CraigTiley
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie Hollywood A-listers Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Rebel Wilson join star-studded list of names at Centre Court's Royal Box
Multiple Australian A-listers, including Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe and Rebel Wilson, joined a star-studded list of names in the Royal Box on Day Two at Wimbledon. In sweltering 34 degree conditions, the Aussie trio arrived at the box on Centre Court just as barbora Krejcikova and Alexandra Eala got proceedings underway for the afternoon on the iconic stadium. Wilson, who dazzled in a flowing pink dress, was joined by her partner Ramona Agruma. The couple, who first went public on their relationship back in 2022, were married last year, with Ramona donning a stripy white dress and blouse on Tuesday. The pair sat next two-time Academy Award winner Blanchett, who was also accompanied by her mother June in the box. The Lord of the Rings actress stunned in a $2,359 Giorgio Armani silk Prince of Wales jacket and trousers that featured a weaved check pattern with a pair of Armani AR6167 golden sunglasses. She, Wilson and her mother all chatted and laughed together between points. They weren't the only Aussies in the Royal Box on Tuesday, with Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, also in attendance at the All England Club on Tuesday. It comes as Blanchett sent fans into meltdown by making a surprise cameo in the final episode of the third series of Netflix's hit show Squid Game. Many fans were left baffled after they spotted the the Oceans 8 actress briefly during the episode, with one fan writing on social media: 'Cate Blanchett in Squid Game was not on my 2025 bucket list, but here we are.' Crowe, meanwhile, made a surprise appearance at the Golden Bee Awards in Malta on Sunday and looked in top form, as he Gladiator actor stepped down the terrace at Wimbledon's historic Centre Court. Rumours have been swirling that the Sydney Rabbitohs co-owner could be set to wed his fiancee Britney Theriot in Rome soon. The pair had confirmed their romance back in 2020 and have since been seen regularly jetting between Sydney and Coffs Harbour. It comes as Crowe is building a $400m new Australian movie studio, dubbed 'Aussiewood' that will be situated in Coffs Harbour close to the Academy Award winner's home on the NSW coast. It comes after Aussie star Alex De Minaur booked his passage to the second round of the Men's Singles on Tusday afternoon, with a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-2) victory against Roberto Carballes Baena on Court 18. While stars including David Beckham and Gareth Southgate were both in the Royal Box on Monday, many other big names from the world of sport were also spotted in the royal enclosure on Tuesday. The Lord of the Rings actress (left) smiled as she enjoyed the day alongside her mum June (right) Blanchett was also sporting a stunning pair of Giorgio Armani sunglasses, worth $1,244 They weren't the only Aussies in the Royal Box on Tuesday, with Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, also in attendance at the All England Club on Tuesday Former US Open and Ryder Cup champion Justin Rose and his partner Katie were both in attendance on Tuesday. Rose suffered heartache at The Masters earlier this year, missing out on finally winning his first Green Jacket to Rory McIlroy over a play-off hole. He has now returned back to the UK and is due to tee up at next week's Scottish Open in North Berwick, before heading to Northern Ireland for the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wimbledon desperately needs to expand to catch up with sprawling Australian Open
The blue planet that is Melbourne Park has never teemed with so much life as it has this year. Total attendance at the Australian Open reached 1.1 million, including qualifying week, and the 99-acre grounds were full of fresh experiments such as the child-friendly Topcourt area near the Yarra River. This is the most ambitious and far-sighted of the four slams, perhaps because it has the ingrained inferiority complex that comes with being the youngest of four siblings. Nevertheless, over 20 years as tournament director, Craig Tiley has transformed the Australian Open beyond recognition. Now Tiley's grand designs are heaping extra pressure on the All England Club, as they strive to add another 73 extra acres to their bijou 42-acre site. The planned expansion into neighbouring Wimbledon Park Golf Course has been inching along for seven years, but despite a positive planning verdict in September from London's City Hall, it remains stuck in development hell. To the AELTC's dismay, the well-organised 'Save Wimbledon Park' campaign is now challenging the verdict via a judicial review, while a separate debate is considering whether the land might be protected by a statutory trust. Legal experts suggest that we are still a couple of years from resolution, and even then, it would still take five or six years for the new grass courts to bed down. In the best-case scenario, the expanded site is unlikely to be ready before 2033. Every additional delay is a dagger to the heart of the AELTC committee. As they fly around the world for their grand-slam board meetings, chair Debbie Jevans and chief executive Sally Bolton see the other majors expanding into three-week operations. Sports fans are increasingly clocking on to the attractions of qualifying – a three-round mini-tournament that whittles 256 men and women down to 32 – as well as the appeal of open practice sets contested by high-profile names. These preliminary weeks drew 116,000 people at this Australian Open and 219,000 at September's US Open. I don't have a figure for the French Open, but since the recent stylish redevelopment of Roland Garros, attendance in Paris is also on the up. It's profoundly frustrating that the Wimbledon equivalent cannot be staged on-site because of the need to keep the grass courts pristine until the first ball is hit on the opening Monday. For the moment, qualifying is held three miles away at what used to be the Bank of England Sports Ground (now renamed as the Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Centre Roehampton). But there are many disadvantages here. For one thing, the site has a maximum capacity of 5,000 spectators. For another, the land is only leased from the Bank of England, so its use cannot be guaranteed beyond 2035. While one understands the local residents' strength of feeling about the golf-course expansion, there is one part of their argument which simply doesn't stack up. The campaigners say that, as tennis's oldest tournament and the only grass-court major, Wimbledon's future is assured without the need for expansion. But that's because they don't work in tennis. It's easy to forget that sports rise and fall, and so do individual events. Think of the decline of athletics as a whole, or the way golf's Open Championship now plays second fiddle to the Masters. Anyone who spends time at these tournaments can see how quickly the All England Club is being left behind. As one high-ranking administrator put it last week, 'When does traditional become old-fashioned?' The AELTC would love to seek out younger audiences with a Kids' Day – as happens at all the other majors during qualifying week – and a buggy park like the one that Tiley has instituted in Melbourne. On a corporate level, it would like to provide better facilities for sponsors. But none of this is possible while the club is handcuffed by its own spatial limitations. It's not as if Wimbledon will ever take on the same vibe as the Australian Open – an event which, like Tommy Steele, sees itself as an all-round entertainer. As a parent, you could quite happily take your family to Melbourne Park and spend the day on the climbing walls and the ping-pong tables without even worrying about going on court. The All England Club is much more focused on the sport itself, casting Wimbledon as a temple of tennis, and creating a sense of aspirational exclusivity. The tournament's image is predicated on quality rather than quantity, which is another reason why it wouldn't try to compete with Melbourne's crowd numbers. Wimbledon's capacity is set at 42,000 for the moment, and the best guess is that it might rise by another 10,000 when the new facilities are completed. On second thoughts, we should say 'if' the new facilities are completed. Despite the recent green light from the Greater London Authority, SWP campaigners remain confident that they can nix the whole project through their latest legal challenges. Such an outcome would condemn Wimbledon to a slow decline towards heritage status. If development becomes impossible, the less constrained majors – especially in Melbourne and New York – will gradually eclipse their old-world counterparts, largely on the grounds of space. As with so many sports, the British codified tennis, only to see it adopted with great enthusiasm by other nations. After Madison Keys's thrilling victory on Saturday, the Americans have won 352 majors, the Australians 166, and Great Britain 98. At this rate, a similar pecking order will soon apply to the grand-slam events themselves. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
