AO Tournament Director Deflects Question About Novak Djokovic's Poisoning Accusations
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Novak Djokovic's recent comments about being poisoned during his infamous detention in Australia created worldwide headlines. However, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley does not want to revisit the saga.
Players from around the world are free to travel to Melbourne for the opening Grand Slam of 2025 at the Australian Open. The situation was very different when the tournament occurred three years ago.
Australia's restrictions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic were among the toughest seen anywhere. Those living in Melbourne, specifically, endured the longest lockdown of any country worldwide due to the government's desperation to prevent transmission of the virus.
Strict entry requirements for those unvaccinated against COVID-19 were part of the measures. Djokovic initially received a visa to enter Australia after being given a medical exemption by Tennis Australia and the Department of Health in Victoria.
However, the Australian Border Force detained Djokovic after determining he did not meet the entry requirements as an unvaccinated individual. That led to him being detained for five days at an immigration hotel.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia then ordered Djokovic's release. However, the immigration minister at the time, Ethan Hawke, used his ministerial powers to deny the Serbian a visa and deport him.
Djokovic's ordeal was one of the most significant sports stories of 2022. While some supported him being deported, others raised concerns about his well-being and thought his treatment was not correct.
The story was already notable, but Djokovic added a shocking new detail in an interview with GQ. He claimed that food at the immigration hotel was poisoned and led to him becoming unwell after returning to Serbia.
Unsurprisingly, a reporter at his press conference before the Australian Open asked Djokovic for concrete evidence to support that claim. That led to a stern response from the tennis legend, who refused to comment further on the matter.
Tiley is keen to avoid re-opening old wounds. The Australian Open tournament director thinks Djokovic is entirely focused on trying to win an 11th title in Melbourne and wants that to be the focus.
"I only found out today he actually said that a while ago, it was ages ago. I mean, I'm around him a lot, and my view is that he's moved on. He's thinking about what he needs to do this week, what he needs to do tomorrow. He wants to win this event. Every conversation is absolutely focused on that."
"I honestly look at that [as] in the past and even myself personally, I don't go back there. I'm not interested in going back there, and I'm more interested in my role to deliver an awesome event the next two weeks."
The tournament director acknowledged that Djokovic is free to say whatever he likes but thinks the 24-time Grand Slam winner has moved on from the incident. Tiley emphasized that Tennis Australia has also moved.
"Absolutely. He can say what he wants to say, but he knows that I've moved on, and we've moved on as an organization, and I believe he has, too."
