Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley blames 'changing conditions', 'miscommunication' for Djokovic saga

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley says «forever-changing conditions» and «miscommunication» with the federal government were the main reasons behind the Novak Djokovic saga that has tarred this year's Australian Open.

Speaking exclusively to ABC journalist Catherine Murphy on News Breakfast on Sunday, Tiley claimed Tennis Australia had sought clarity on multiple occasions from federal authorities, but that the evolving nature of the Omicron variant meant that «there was a lot of contradiction and complexity with information».

A letter dated November 29 from federal Health Minister Greg Hunt to Craig Tiley clearly stated that a prior infection of COVID-19 would not be grounds for exemption from vaccination requirements for quarantine-free travel.

«It was an incredibly challenging environment,» Tiley said.

«One or two bits of communication doesn't define all the amounts of communication that continued to go on leading into the event.

»We knew we were going to have a difficult period and that's why there was a lot of contradiction and complexity with information.

«And that's why, as an organisation, we continued to seek clarity so we can get to the point where we are today: We are half-way through what's been an unbelievable seven days, not only of tennis but our fans loving it and players also being very comfortable and loving it as well.»

In his first non-network interview since last week's court case that resulted in world number one Novak Djokovic being deported from Australia on the recommendation of Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, Tiley avoided directly answering questions about changes to rules around prior infection as grounds for exemption.

Djokovic said he believed he was entering Australia according to the rules