Simon Cannavan and Karen Mak, a leading umpire and former match official respectively, are suing Tennis Australia for wrongful dismissal after having their officiating memberships terminated last year. They claim retaliation for criticizing TA’s governance issues such as selection favoritism and workplace bullying. The case was initially brought to the Fair Work Commission but now proceeds to the Federal Court with Cannavan filing documents on Thursday and Mak expected to follow soon. Represented by Capree Lawyers, they argue that officials should be able to voice concerns without fear of retaliation, while Tennis Australia maintains its decision was necessary for staff health and safety and disputes their claims through court proceedings.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Simon Cannavan and Karen Mak, two match officials previously employed by Tennis Australia (TA), have filed lawsuits against the organization in the Federal Court. Both claim their memberships were terminated last year as retaliation for criticizing TA on issues such as selection favoritism, workplace safety, and alleged bullying. In June, TA unsuccessfully attempted to dismiss their cases at the Fair Work Commission.
Cannavan is a professional chair umpire on the men’s ATP Tour, while Mak worked as a court supervisor and line judge in Melbourne. The pair are represented by Capree Lawyers and expect their cases to proceed following the commission's decision against TA. This legal dispute comes early into Andrew Abdo's tenure as TA's chief executive, who started in August after Craig Tiley moved to head the US Tennis Association.
This lawsuit highlights growing tensions within TA over working conditions and governance practices ahead of major tournaments like the Australian Open.
Written for “Tennis Court Controversy” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Tennis Australia is being taken to the Federal Court by a leading umpire and former match official who allege they were unlawfully dismissed after airing concerns about selection favouritism, workplace safety and alleged bullying.
asserted
they → take → favouritism
Simon Cannavan and Karen Mak claimed they had their officiating memberships terminated last year in retaliation for criticising the sport’s governing body and accused the Australian Open organiser of presiding over a culture of fear.
TA in June failed in a bid to have their case turned away by the Fair Work Commission and its bitter dispute with the match officials is now headed for court.
Cannavan, a professional chair umpire on the men’s ATP Tour, on Thursday filed documents with the Federal Court while Mak, a Melbourne barrister who worked at tournaments as a court supervisor and line judge, was due to lodge separate proceedings on Friday.
They are being represented by Melbourne firm Capree Lawyers.
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They → claim → Lawyers
The escalation of the feud is an early headache for new Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo, the former NRL chief who started last month after long-time boss Craig Tiley left to take over the United States Tennis Association, which runs the US Open.
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which → start → Open
“This action is about accountability,” the two match officials said in a statement issued by Mak.
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officials → say → Mak
“It is about ensuring that officials can raise legitimate workplace concerns, identify problems, and suggest improvements without fear of retaliation, losing work, or damaging their future opportunities.
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officials → ensure → opportunities
“We did not want to end up in court.
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We → want → court
But officials should not have to choose between speaking honestly about workplace issues and continuing to work in the sport they love.
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they → have → sport
“We want officials to be able to speak up without fear of retaliation.
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officials → want → retaliation
And, after a very long process, we want the evidence and the truth to come out.”
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evidence → want → process
Tennis Australia is expected to contest the matters in court.
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Australia → expect → court
“Officials are valued members of our community and are encouraged to voice concerns,” a Tennis Australia spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday night.”
“We also have an obligation to protect the health and safety of our staff and officials.
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We → encourage → staff
The membership decisions at issue were made in 2025 after a long process, and TA will respond to the claim through the court.”
uncertain
TA → make → court
The organisation has previously defended its decision to cancel Cannavan and Mak’s accreditation, saying they had acted unprofessionally in the manner in which they raised the issues and that their conduct had caused mental distress to several TA employees.
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conduct → defend → employees
Tennis Australia stripped Cannavan and Mak of their credentials over a series of newsletters they sent to the Australian officiating community last year in their capacity as directors of Tennis Officials Australia, which represents the umpires, match referees and other officials who work at tournaments.
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who → strip → tournaments
In one of the newsletters, the Tennis Officials Australia board said it had collected evidence that indicated there was entrenched and systematic bias in the selection of match officials for tournaments and there were credible reports of “selectors rigging the process to select themselves, their friends and allies, while excluding officials they don’t like.”
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they → say → officials
They also brought up safety concerns in relation to parking at night at tournaments and
presented Tennis Australia with a report that contained bullying allegations from an Adelaide-based staffer.
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that → bring → staffer
Tennis Australia commissioned an external investigation, which found the male staffer had referred to a female casual match official as “unstable” but determined that the behaviour could be classed as “insults” or “teasing” and not bullying.
uncertain
behaviour → commission → insults
Cannavan and Mak said they had brought attention to issues affecting officials, including health and safety, workplace practices, and the way officials who spoke up were treated, and had sought to communicate with members about those points.
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who → say → points
“What followed was an escalating series of attempts by Tennis Australia to control our communications and the way our elected organisation operated,” they said.
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they → follow → communications
“We received multiple demands to cease communicating with our members, were told that Tennis Australia wanted advance oversight of our communication to our members, and were pressured to add people to our member-elected board because Tennis Australia was unhappy with its composition.
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Australia → receive → composition
Suggestions we made about improving the officiating system were also falsely characterised by Tennis Australia as ‘threats’.”
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we → make → threats
The removal of their memberships bars Cannavan and Mak from officiating at Tennis Australia-sanctioned events including the Australian Open and other tournaments during Australia’s summer of tennis.
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removal → bar → tennis
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