Tennis NSW never considered young female players could be at risk when it continued to employ a head coach who allegedly indecently assaulted a promising young player.
And 16 years after the event the peak tennis organisation says it will now consider an apology to BXJ, a talented player who quit the game in 1999 because she was distraught the Tennis NSW board did not appear to believe she had been abused by her coach.
A royal commission was told on Monday the Tennis NSW got a solicitor to investigate when in 1999 BXJ complained about high-performance head coach Noel Callaghan.
It has since emerged that Tennis NSW was advised by the solicitor BXJ could be believed and should be supported, but the board decided instead to get further legal advice.
Craig Watson, then CEO of Tennis NSW said on Monday he could not recall why the board sought a second legal opinion in 1999 or why BXJ or her family were not told the results of the first investigation.
Neither could he remember anyone raising concerns about BXJ's welfare or the board considering the possibility Noel Callaghan could be a risk to other young players.
Callaghan resigned in 2000 to defend himself against complaints made by another two female players. He was never convicted of any offences and now works overseas.
On Monday the current CEO of Tennis NSW Alistair MacDonald said he would raise the matter of an apology to BXJ with the board - 16 years after she complained.
Commission chairman Peter McClellan asked whether it was time for Tennis NSW to address "what has been egregious wrong".
Mr MacDonald said it was.
Earlier on Monday former CEO Mr Watson came under intense questioning by counsel assisting the commission, Naomi Sharp, to explain what it meant when the tennis body "closed ranks" after a decision to let Noel Callaghan continue in his employment.
Tennis NSW had been given several options by senior counsel and one was not to take action against Callaghan but to advise BXJ she could go to police.
Once it went with that decision it was advised to "close ranks".
Mr Watson said he understood that was because of the general sensitivity and required discretion around the subject but did not think it influenced a decision not to offer BXJ support.
Mr Watson said in retrospect he and the board could have handled the matter differently but it was the first such case to come to Tennis NSW and it was seeking guidance from legal experts.
The commission has also heard Tennis NSW did not tell the NSW Institute of Sport, where Callaghan was also head coach, about the first legal advice.
The hearing was to continue on Tuesday when Ann West, Tennis Australia's manager for business and risk, would give evidence.
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