Australian Open 2022: Craig Tiley makes call on future, refuses to address key Djokovic question

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has declared he “absolutely, absolutely” intends to be at the helm of next year’s tournament. Tiley, who was embroiled in the Novak Djokovic visa fiasco in the lead-up to this year’s major, prompting calls for him to consider his position as Tennis Australia chief executive and Australian Open tournament director. He said that the final weekend of the event which saw local world No. 1 Ash Barty and Spanish star Rafael Nadal crowned as singles champions and Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis claiming the men’s doubles had only spurred his ambition to remain in his role. “This weekend probably defines (why I want to stay),” Tiley said. “The performance of the players, the performance of our staff, the interest of the fans. I think that we will define the Australian Open on the success we’ve had in the past two weeks.” The tournament saw a huge boost in younger crowds, as “the confidence of everyone grew” and crowds increased as the tournament went on. A comprehensive review of the tournament – including the Djokovic saga – will be completed in coming months. Tiley refused to be drawn on whether Djokovic would be at next year’s tournament, saying that the landscape is far too difficult to predict. “We are thinking well ahead … one thing we don’t know is where we’re going to be with COVID,” he said. “We have to continually make adjustments in managing the virus. “As far as thinking about 2023, every day we do that. A year’s time is a long time away, and I can’t guarantee which players are going to be here and which players are not.” Nadal, who made a beeline for Tiley immediately courtside after defeating Daniil Medvedev on Sunday night, described him as “an amazing tournament director”. “I know he went through some very hard times this year,” Nadal said. “He was there, always supporting the tennis, supporting the players and thinking about what’s the best for the sport and doing it in a very healthy way. “I really believe that Craig is a great person and very important ambassador for the Australian Open. “From the player’s perspective, the support that we received from Tennis Australia is just unbelievable, so we can’t thank enough him, and Tennis Australia generally.”