Eric Butorac will replace Stacey Allaster as US Open tournament director

NEW YORK (AP) — Former player Eric Butorac will replace Stacey Allaster as the U.S. Open's tournament director, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Monday.

Butorac has been the USTA's senior director of players relations and business development and was the tournament director for this year's new mixed doubles event at the U.S. Open.

"This is, in many ways, a dream come true and the culmination of my life and career in tennis," Butorac said.

He was a professional tennis player for 14 years, reached the top 20 in the ATP doubles rankings and was a doubles finalist at the 2014 Australian Open.

Butorac also was the ATP player council president.

He joined the USTA in 2016 and was the tournament director of the Cincinnati Open in 2022.

"Eric has been instrumental in strengthening the U.S. Open experience for both players and fans, and his leadership, insight and passion for the game make him the ideal person to guide the next chapter of the tournament's success," said Brian Vahaly, interim co-CEO of the USTA.

Allaster became the U.S. Open tournament director in 2020, the first woman to hold that position in the history of a tournament first held in 1881. She has worked at the USTA since 2016 and before that was the chairman and CEO of the WTA women's professional tennis tour.

Allaster will remain in her job as the USTA's chief executive of professional tennis until May, before shifting to an advisory role with the organization.