Australian Open chief Craig Tiley said on Sunday that “contradictory information” and quickly changing directives are to blame for the confusion that led to Novak Djokovic being refused entry to Australia on a medical exemption.
Tiley refused to apportion blame for the saga over Djokovic's exemption from the mandate that people entering the country be vaccinated against coronavirus.
He said Tennis Australia had engaged in discussions with federal and Victoria state officials for several months to ensure the safe passage of players into the country.
Djokovic has spent four days in immigration detention in a Melbourne hotel ahead of his appeal against a removal order issued by the Australian Border Force on Thursday morning.
In a court filing on Saturday, his lawyers argued that he had been given a medical exemption as he had contracted and recovered from a Covid-19 infection detected on December 16.
“We are not going to lay the blame at anyone,” Tiley told Channel 9, which holds the domestic broadcast rights to the Australian Open, on Sunday.
“All I can say is that, primarily because there is [so] much contradictory information the whole time, every single week we were talking to Home Affairs, we were talking to all parts of government to ensure that one, we were doing the right thing, and the right process with these exemptions.
“The conflicting information, and the contradictory information we received, was because of the changing environment. We are in a challenging environment.”
The court hearing on Djokovic's case is set to begin at 10am local time on Monday after the Australian government's bid for a delay until Wednesday was rejected by the court.
The nine-time Australian Open champion is seeking to win his 21st Grand Slam title at the tournament, which starts on January 17.
Tiley, who is Australian Open tournament director as well as chief executive of Tennis Australia, reiterated that neither body had wittingly passed incorrect information to players seeking to play in Melbourne using a medical exemption.
“All information we had at the time, the knowledge we had at the time, was supplied to players,” he said. “There was always going to be a handful of people … that require for medical reasons exemptions. We worked closely with the Victorian Government to ensure it was actually two medical panels, two processes that … a small handful had to go through to be exempt.”
It was Tiley's first interview since Djokovic was detained at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday night, a development the South African said had shocked him.
Tiley had previously addressed Tennis Australia staff in a video that was subsequently leaked. In it, he acknowledged it was a difficult time for all at the organisation while expressing sympathy for the situation Djokovic found himself in.
“I would like to see him play the Australian Open, yes,” Tiley said.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Stage 5 results
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53
2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -
3 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott -
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:04
5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07
General Classification:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04
2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48
5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
