Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has shut down queries on the state of the southern tennis summer as chaos reigns in the run-up to the opening Grand Slam of 2022.
The administrator refused to take questions about preparations for the major starting on January 17, with decisions on a player vaccination mandate and even the status of run-up event remaining open to interpretation.
The tennis boss indicated to local media at a ceremony to announce the retirement of local wheelchair ace Dylan Alcott in Melbourne that few details have been settled.
A clash of wills appears to be coming to a head between Victorian State premier Dan Andrews and the Federal government, with Andrews insisting that all competitors must be double-vaxxed against COVID.
The feds appear to be ready to make exceptions for the non-jabbed.
“I’m not going to have people sitting in the grandstands having done the right thing, only to have millionaire players who ought to be vaccinated running around the place being essentially at such high risk of spreading this – getting it and giving it,” Andrews said.
Major names such as No. 1 Novak Djokovic have refused to make their vaccination status public, adding to the complexity of the situation.
The Serb has said he is waiting for Tennis Australia to make the first move – which could well be a ban from entering Australia for those unvaccinated ATP and WTA players.
