Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley says he has not considered resigning despite the mess that saw world number one Novak Djokovic deported last week.
Djokovic travelled to Australia under assurances from Tennis Australia that he had a medical exemption to exclude him from the vaccination requirement to enter the country.
However, the Serbian was stopped at the border, detained in an immigration detention hotel, and ultimately deported by a Ministerial executive order.
Asked if he has considered resigning over the Novak Djokovic fiasco, Tiley told Channel Nine: “No. We put a statement out recently.
“I am very focused today on delivering a great event. I am proud of being able to stand up here and you can see what is behind us (Melbourne Park).
“I am proud of what we have delivered so far. We have had four days of unbelievable tennis and we will have that for the next ten days.”
The Tennis Australia statement Tiley refers to was made last week, when they said they ‘deeply regretted’ the Djokovic situation but denied they bore any responsibility for it.
“We would like to make clear from the outset that we respect the decision of the Immigration Minister [Alex Hawke] and the finding of the Federal Court of Australia over the weekend,” the statement read..
“Our priority has always been to put on one of the world’s greatest sporting events and ensure we are delivering the best possible experience for all our players, the fans, and the community.
“The board and Member Associations commend the Tennis Australia CEO and the entire Tennis Australia team for their hard work and dedication to delivering a spectacular summer of tennis.
“As the Australian tennis family, we recognise that recent events have been a significant distraction for everyone, and we deeply regret the impact this had on all players.
“There are always lessons to learn, and we will review all aspects of our preparation and implementation to inform our planning, as we do every year.
“That process always starts once the Australian Open champions have lifted their trophies.
Craig Tiley also addressed an allegation made by a former Mayor of a Melbourne suburb who claimed Tennis Australia paid for Djokovic’s $500,000 AUS legal bills.
“I have seen those reports and we don’t really go into the detail of financial arrangements we have with players, but those reports are simply untrue,” Tiley said.
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