‘Hollow Tiley scare tactic’ exposed as Djokovic saga drags on

Since the beginning of the Djokovic scandal, the world’s eyes have been on Australia and its response to the Covid-19 pandemic as debate has raged.

In some corners, there have been calls for Australia to lose its grand slam.

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Unvaccinated American star Tenny Sandgren, who has been critical of Australia in the past, particularly around quarantining before the 2021 Australian Open, clipped the nation again at the beginning of the saga when he wrote: “Australia doesn’t deserve to host a grand slam.”

Sandgren reportedly didn’t apply for a medical exemption and will not compete at the 2022 Australian Open.

He is far from the only one who has called for the event to be stripped from Melbourne Park.

A Politico piece headlined Why Australia is paralysed over deporting Novak Djokovic pointed to comments from Australian Open director Craig Tiley that Melbourne could be at risk of losing the Open.

The comments came as it was believed that the Australian Open could be postponed or cancelled, Tiley warned it could be “catastrophic” and said the grand slam which has been held in Australia since 1905 may be poached.

The only years the Australia has not been held is during World War I and II.

“It always is (a threat for the event to be moved overseas),” Tiley said on SEN last year.

“Even though we have a contract until 2039 for the government, it doesn’t mean that if we didn’t have the event for a few years and another country put in a lot of money for a big event that it’s easy to play at, then they (top players) wouldn’t come here.”

But Rothenberg shut down the discussion as soon as it began, slamming the comments as “a scare tactic to obtain more funding”.

Responding to a Twitter user who said “There is a real risk of Aus losing the grand slam”, Rothenberg wrote: “No there’s not. This has long been a Craig Tiley talking point, but there’s absolutely no reason to think that #AusOpen, a pillar of tennis for more than 100 years, could ever be poached.

“This has been a hollow Tiley scare tactic to obtain greater funding. Don’t fall for it.”

The comments appear to be backed up by the likes of former Australian Open semi-finalist turned politician John Alexander, although he still had a word of warning.

Speaking on ABC Radio National’s Breakfast, the 70-year-old member for Bennelong said that while Australia won’t lose the year’s first grand slam tournament, it could still be bad news for the open.

“We can’t lose it (the Australian Open) but we can be diminished,” Alexander said. “If the Australian Open is making conditions that people seem to meet but then are not allowed to come … that would not help our status.

“We have previously been the poor cousin of the four events but with the establishment of Melbourne Park, it’s significantly the best venue of the grand slams.

“We’ve got a lot going for us but we need to tread carefully and we need to be showing that if people meet the criteria, they will be allowed in the country.”

On Friday, Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke cancelled Djokovic’s visa, which has sparked renewed legal battle just days out from the start of the Australian Open.

After a preliminary hearing last night, Djokovic will meet with government officials at 8am today, where he will be formally detained.

He will then be able to visit his lawyers’ offices to help them prepare for the case, before being taken into detention later in the day.

A final hearing is expected to take place on Sunday morning.

Originally published as ‘Hollow Tiley scare tactic’ exposed as Novak Djokovic saga drags on