‘Lessons to learn’: Open boss regrets how Djokovic saga disrupted tournament
By Scott Spits
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has expressed strong regret at how the Novak Djokovic visa saga has disrupted this year’s event, but the veteran administrator said that he believed he had the full support of the Tennis Australia board.
Speaking midway through the first major of 2022, Tiley also said that he would not be resigning over the circumstances that overshadowed the start of the tournament.
Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
Tennis Australia has come under criticism for its role in the drawn-out legal saga in which world No.1 Novak Djokovic travelled to Australia citing a medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination but was stopped at the border. The Serbian’s visa was cancelled, a decision the tennis player challenged in court.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Sunday that the situation could have been avoided if Djokovic had simply been vaccinated, arguing one person was not bigger than the tournament. It was a sentiment also expressed by star player Rafael Nadal.
On Monday, when asked if that principle had been ignored, the tournament boss said: “Yeah, I actually completely understand your question.
“I think the important thing is that if we look back and say ‘what’s the regret?’ The biggest regret I probably have at this point is the distraction that the challenging environment created for everyone, and especially for the players.
“There was a narrative that the players wanted to get on with playing, and it was felt by all of them that it [the Djokovic saga] was a distraction for them and in many ways they could be forgotten.
“We are player first. We always will be player first but never at the expense of doing the right thing and never at the expense of the safety of everyone.”
When asked further by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald about whether TA had tried to facilitate Djokovic’s entry to the country, Tiley said: “It’s fair to say from the beginning everyone is committed to doing the right thing to get the event up and running and that is with the mindset of the safety of the players, etc.
“We’re sitting here today and we’ve achieved something pretty special - in the middle of the pandemic getting this event up and running.
Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia in a furore over a medical exemption from vaccination for COVID-19.Credit:AP
“All the way along in the preparation of the event ... the principle about which we go is that we will never compromise from doing the right thing.
“We were in lockdowns ... that’s a commitment we made to the state governments, particularly the government of Victoria.
“Every year we do a review and we do it after the Open. There will be lessons to learn and we’ll do that in a pretty rigorous process of seeing what we didn’t do well, what we did do well.
“We’ll spend the next month going through that, but that will be no different to every other year.”
When asked, had the circumstances been different, whether Djokovic would currently be playing the Australian Open had the Serbian not posted on social media 24 hours before he was due to arrive that he was “medically exempt” and was travelling to Australia, Tiley said he did not know.
“I mean I don’t want to keep going over old ground, because I don’t know the answer to that question,” Tiley said.
“What I do know is where we are at today that it has been a distraction. It’s been a distraction for everyone … we don’t want it to continue to be a distraction.”
“To the specifics [of that question] I don’t know.”
On Sunday, in a separate interview with the ABC, Tiley said he could envisage Djokovic being able to return for next year’s Australian Open despite a three-year ban from entering the country hanging over his head.
The Open boss was reluctant to make any more predictions about the likelihood of the defending champion coming back.
“If you and I could look into a crystal ball and say [what’s going to happen] I’m happy to take your advice on that one,” Tiley said.
“What I’m confident on is that we’ll deliver a great AO ’23 because we’ll use the year to plan what we’re going to be doing for 2023,” he said.
“I’ve got no idea where we’re going to be with the pandemic. Is it going to be over? I don’t know.
“That will have a bearing on what happens in the future. But what I’m hoping, like you are hoping, that this thing is behind us and we can return to a sense of normalcy.”
Pressed further on whether TA had any concern about being subject to legal action from Djokovic or his representatives over the visa saga.
“Look no, we’re not concerned about that.”
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