Australian Open TD Craig Tiley To Players: Send Complaints To Me, Not To Social Media!

Players have been hitting social media hard during their quarantine, some of it entertaining, some of it enlightening, but there’s also been a fair bit of complaining, and that’s doing no one any good.

And Australian Open head Craig Tiley has had enough of it. Tiley said during an interview that he wants players to air their issues with him.

What really upset me probably last night the most was if you’ve got a complaint, blame me,” he said.
“Don’t go out on social media and take it out on the staff, Melbourne community or Australia. Don’t do that. If you want to have a crack, come to me. Not at someone that’s been working around the clock, that hurts. What are you trying to achieve? You’re not solving the problem.”

Tiley also addressed concerns that those players in Adelaide for an exo — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and others — were having it better than those in Melbourne. Tiley admitted that in fact that have been treated better because they have earned it.

“I get the feeling it is perceived as preferential treatment,” he said. “But they’re the top players in the world. My general rule is if you’re at the top of the game, a grand slam champion, it’s just the nature of the business. You are going to get a better deal.”

During their 14-day quarantine, the tournament provided free airfare, free hotel plus free food and more. Players who do lose in the first round at the Australian Open will earn $100K (AUD).