Tennis Australia examines preparations for the Australian Open following the expulsion of Novak Djokovic

Tennis The Australian president says preparations for the Australian Open will be looked at after Novak Djokovic is deported.

In a statement issued by Tennis Australia, President Jayne Hrdlicka said board members were “deeply sorry” for what had happened in the past two weeks.

The visa for the world’s men’s tennis player, Djokovic, was revoked twice before the first grand slam of the year.

In her statement, Hrdlicka said Tennis Australia respected the decision by immigration minister Alex Hawke to revoke Serbia’s visa, as well as a federal court decision that also rejected Djokovic’s last attempt to stay in the country.

“Tennis Australia has worked closely with both the federal and Victorian governments over the past year to provide COVID-safe to the Australian Open for players, staff and fans,” he said.

“As an Australian tennis family, we understand that recent events have disturbed everyone and we deeply regret its impact on all players.

The COVID-19 pandemic has plagued the Australian Open for the past two years, with international players demanding a two-week hotel quarantine period to play in 2021.

Most of this year’s grand slam tournament focused on Djokovic’s participation.

Spacebar to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows to adjust volume.

View

Duration: 1 minute 18 seconds1m 18s

In a statement, Ms Hrdlicka said the government praised the work of Craig Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia, and the team that hosted the tournament.

“We are embarking on a major international sporting event during a global pandemic that is constantly evolving and challenging us all profoundly for all stakeholders,” he said.

“The board and member associations thank the CEO of Tennis Australia and the entire Tennis Australia team for their hard work and dedication to achieving a wonderful tennis summer.”