Craig Tiley said when the competition begins it will be a normal environment for the playersGETTY IMAGES
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said the majority of players set to play in the Australian Open next month "have been fantastic" about abiding by the rigorous safety protocols and quarantine measures that have been implemented. A total of 72 players are under a strict quarantine that does not allow them to leave their hotel rooms for 14 days after having been exposed to coronavirus while traveling to Melbourne. During an appearance on CBSSN's "We Need To Talk," Tiley said, “There have been a few that have complained a fair bit and have made accusations of not knowing that this was the situation. But it’s always been very clear to the players that if you come to Australia, you’re going to be quarantining for 14 days. The reward for that is when they come out next week ... there’s no virus in our communities.” Tiley said when the competition begins it “will be a normal environment” for the players. He added, "They’re going to very quickly forget the 14 days of quarantining, we’re hoping, and they get into a normal routine” (“We Need To Talk,” CBSSN, 1/20).
DJOKOVIC DEFENDS LETTER: ESPN.com's D'Arcy Maine noted Novak Djokovic "attempted to clarify his heavily scrutinized letter" to Tiley in a social media post Tuesday, "insisting his 'good intentions' were misconstrued." Djokovic: "My good intentions for my fellow competitors in Melbourne have been misconstrued as being selfish, difficult, and ungrateful. This couldn't be farther from the truth. ... At times when I see the aftermath of things, I do tend to ask myself if I should just sit back and enjoy my benefits instead of paying attention to other people's struggles" (ESPN.com, 1/20). In London, Stuart Fraser noted Djokovic is not one of the players ordered to remain inside their hotel rooms, but instead is in Adelaide "as part of the separate quarantine arrangement for a small group of top players." That quarantine base "remains contentious, with many players in Melbourne complaining that the Adelaide group has extra privileges, such as gym access within the hotel at any time and larger entourages" (LONDON TIMES, 1/20).
