Craig Tiley the boss of the Open has finally spoken out about the controversy surrounding Novak Djokovics detention and deportation from Australia three summers ago
Tiley came under immense pressure at the time as the worlds number one tennis player was detained and eventually deported from the country due to his vaccination status
In a recent interview Tiley reflected on the events that transpired and how they affected him and the tournament as a whole
It was a very difficult time for everyone involved and I dont think anyone came out of it looking good Tiley said
Djokovic had travelled to Australia to compete in the Open but was denied entry into the country due to his failure to provide sufficient evidence of his vaccination status
He was initially granted a medical exemption to enter the country but this was later overturned by the Australian government leading to his detention and eventual deportation
The incident sparked a global outcry with many of Djokovics fans and fellow players coming to his defence and criticising the Australian government for their handling of the situation
Tiley acknowledged that the incident had been a major distraction for the tournament and had put a lot of pressure on the organisers and players
However he also stated that the tournament had to follow the rules and regulations set out by the Australian government and that the decision to deport Djokovic had been out of their hands
Despite the controversy the Open was still able to go ahead and was won by Rafael Nadal who defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final
Tiley said that the tournament had been a success despite the challenges they had faced and that they had learned a lot from the experience
He also stated that they would do things differently if a similar situation were to arise in the future
In the end Tiley said that he was just glad that the incident was behind them and that they could focus on moving forward and hosting a successful tournament in the future
When asked if he would go back and do things differently if given the chance Tiley simply said I dont go back there
It is clear that the experience had a profound effect on Tiley and the Open and that they will do everything in their power to avoid a similar situation in the future