Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley recently opened up about his experiences after Novak Djokovic was barred from the 2022 Australian Open. Speaking on the Rock’n’Roll Tennis podcast, he recounted the terrible ordeal he underwent after the Serb’s deportation. He revealed he even got death threats and had to shift houses.
The 2022 Australian Open-Novak Djokovic saga remains one of the darkest chapters in the tournament’s history. The debacle had no winners. The Grand Slam event lost out on its best player and biggest crowd-puller, while Djokovic missed a probable Majors title. The fiasco had far-reaching consequences, and even the head honcho, Tiley, was not spared.
Australian Open Director Craig Tiley talks about turmoil after Djokovic saga
Tiley is the CEO of Tennis Australia, the body controlling all tennis activities Down Under. He also serves as the Director of the Australian Open. The South African native started his tennis journey as a coach in American collegiate sports. He also coached his country’s Davis Cup team for a few years before returning to the NCAA setup. His association with Tennis Australia began in 2005 as Director of Player Development and he was made CEO in 2013.
In his long tenure as the head of Tennis Australia, hosting the Australian Open during the pandemic years was one of the toughest jobs Tiley had to do. The entire Djokovic saga in 2022 only made it more difficult. He came under fire from all corners. Speaking on the Rock’n’Roll Tennis podcast, Tiley said he learnt a lot about himself, claiming he felt no panic and the pressure did not get to him. He recalled having media swarming his house for 14 days but said he was in a hotel at that time. He revealed receiving death threats and that his family sold the house and moved.
“You learn a lot about yourself in that period. I was surprised because I actually slept well and I felt really calm during that whole process. There was a tremendous amount of pressure. You know, I had media parked outside my house for 14 straight days. I was staying in a hotel in the city. There was a security watch, I had death threats constantly…My young family, they had sold that house and moved. So there was a period, really the whole of 2022 which was really really difficult.”
Tiley’s role in the Novak Djokovic mess
Djokovic had initially gotten the permission to play the 2022 Australian despite being unvaccinated against COVID-19. He had cited certain medical exemptions as grounds for not taking the shot. However, the Australian Immigration Ministry overturned this permission after the Serb landed in the country, cancelling his visa. He was detained by the authorities and faced deportation. The defending champion appealed against the cancellation but in vain. Ultimately, he had to leave Australia and miss out on the Grand Slam.
Tiley drew heavy flak for his role and his job was under the scanner after that fiasco (according to Fox Sports). The South African apparently gave Djokovic the go-ahead prematurely without verifying his medical exemption. The 24-time Grand Slam winner had claimed exemption on the basis that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past six months. But Tiley reportedly never got Djokovic’s paperwork approved by the government.
Apart from the backlash from the tennis and sports community, he also faced threats from Djokovic’s fans. Already reeling from not being able to see him play, watching their idol endure the shame of being detained like a criminal would surely have aggravated them. Tiley may have done an otherwise commendable job of managing two pandemic-hit Australian Opens, but the Djokovic saga will always remain a blot on his resume.
