Remembering Brian Tobin, 1930-2024

Brian Tobin, long-serving former president of Tennis Australia and the ITF and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, passed away on April 22 at the age of 93.

Born in Perth in 1930, Tobin moved to Melbourne as a teenager and went on to establish himself as one of his country’s Top 10 players in the 1950s and 60s -- competing at the Australian Championships and Roland Garros while launching a parallel career in banking and finance.

Keen to make a difference off court in the sport he loved, Tobin became a council member of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (now Tennis Australia) in 1964 and was duly named captain of the nation’s formidable Federation Cup squad, working with Margaret Court, Lesley Bowrey and Judy Dalton.

In 1977, Tobin was elected the governing body’s president, a position he would hold for more than a decade. At a time when the Australian Open’s status as a major was imperiled, Tobin lured the game’s stars back Down Under and oversaw the tournament’s monumental move from genteel Kooyong, a suburban grass-court club, to a state-of-the art hard-court facility centered on Rod Laver Arena with its revolutionary retractable roof.

Then known as Flinders Park, the new venue was ready in time for the 1988 Australian Open -- and the roof was soon called into play when rain fell during the women’s singles final between Stefanie Graf and Chris Evert.

Among his various related roles in the eighties, Tobin was a Women’s International Pro Tour World Tournament Representative from 1983 to 1985, and the ITF’s representative on the same committee from 1986 to 1989. 

Upon leaving Tennis Australia in 1989, he became the first executive vice president of the ITF and the global organization’s first full-time president in 1991, serving two terms through 1999. During this period, the Australian visited no fewer than 104 member states, cultivating ties that helped grow the sport from the grass roots.

As well as nurturing the ITF’s crown jewel Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup events, Tobin worked to bolster the prestige of tennis as an Olympic sport and fostered the emergence of wheelchair tennis on the international stage.

“Brian Tobin contributed so much to Australian tennis, changing the face of the Australian Open -- many of his decisions helped make it the successful tournament it is today,” said Judy Dalton, a nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion and member of the Original 9.

“His Presidency of Tennis Australia and also of the International Tennis Federation was outstanding. He was always so interested in helping the women tennis players, he was widely respected and had a great sense of humor. He will be sadly missed.”

The recipient of an array of industry honors, Tobin was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003, in recognition of his impactful leadership in tennis administration.

“Brian Tobin first and foremost was a gentleman,” said Peachy Kellmeyer, a senior WTA executive for nearly five decades and a fellow Hall of Famer. “He advanced opportunities for women in tennis at a crucial time for the WTA and was accessible to all while internationalizing our sport. He was a giver, a true contributor to the greater good and he leaves a tremendous legacy.”

Steven Simon, Chairman and CEO of the WTA said: “Our sport has lost a true leader and friend to all. Brian, a man of great principle and honor, was always focused on what was best for the sport. His many contributions touched all and his strong support for the WTA and our Members will be something that we will always carry with great respect.”

Tobin is survived by his wife, Carmen, sons Geoff and Alan, and family and friends around the world.