Craig Tiley is not going to give up Tennis Australia boss after Novak Djokovic’s saga

Craig Tiley is not going to leave Tennis Australia’s boss venue and says all questions about Novak Djokovic’s saga have been answered.

Tiley was ridiculed by fans who unleashed their rage in the governing body on the fourth day of the Australian Open, when the CEO of TA rarely performed in the field and handed out a bouquet of flowers to the mighty Samantha Stosur, who is retiring.

The ugly scene unfolded when it was reported that the unvaccinated Djokovic was considering suing the Australian government for “assault” after his visa was revoked and he was deported from the open.

On Sunday, the world’s number one male tennis player was deported and flew back to his homeland of Serbia, where he has been fiercely defended by government officials and admiring fans.

Meanwhile, Australian Open boss Tiley has kept a low profile in Melbourne Park this year and is not yet in front of the entire media answering questions about the saga that has cast a dark shadow over the so-called “happy slam”.

The TA issued a statement Tuesday night in which it “deeply regrets” how the messy incident had affected all the other players, but never mentioned Djokovic by name.

Tiley gave a short interview to Nine Network as a host broadcaster on Thursday and answered a clear “no” when asked if he was considering resigning.

“We’ve posted a statement recently, and today I’m focused on hosting a very big event,” Tiley said.

“We have already addressed them [Djokovic]questions and really now, today, we’re just focusing on delivering four days and making a great event happen. ”

Tiley dismissed media reports that TA would pay Djokovic’s travel and legal expenses for his court hearings, saying “these reports are simply not true.”

The Open COVID-19 testing program has also been criticized, and several players, including outspoken local Bernard Tomic, are questioning the fact that the tests are optional for competitors during the tournament.

Frenchman Ugo Humbert revealed on Wednesday that he had a positive COVID-19 test, and the men’s third-place finish Alexander Zverev believes more players in the tournament have been infected without being detected.

Tiley defended the protocol that all players were tested upon arrival in Australia and again between the fifth and seventh days of their stay, and players with symptoms were subjected to mandatory testing.

“So far, it’s worked well and it’s been successful,” Tiley said.

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“We are in a situation where this is the fourth day and we are going to play another 10 days of great tennis.

“In addition to the testing program, we will also continue to use the physical distance and masks that you can see in the player area, all players have masks at their disposal.

“We constantly remind them of hygiene and how they stay safe, and not just [to] keep yourself safe, but make sure we keep Victorians safe, because that has been our goal from the beginning. “

Stosur bowed to Anastasia Pavlyuchenko in 10th place after a 6-2, 6-2 loss and said she didn’t notice fans mocking Tiley.

“Yeah, look, maybe it’s not the right time or place for it,” Stosur said.

“Yeah, a little harsh. I think you look, it’s an unfortunate situation that has become clear in recent weeks.

“I think it ‘s behind us now and it’ s going to be a good thing.

“I think if everyone could come back and change things, they probably would. Hopefully nothing like that will ever happen again in the future.”

AAP