Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley at Melbourne Park. (Getty Images) Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has broken his silence on the growing debate over players’ privacy at the Grand Slam, admitting it is a “fine line” after several top stars complained about behind-the-scenes camera access – with Iga Swiatek likening the experience to being treated like “animals in a zoo”.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Controversy erupted after Coco Gauff was caught on camera angrily smashing a racket in the Melbourne Park tunnels following Tuesday’s quarter-final defeat. The footage, filmed in what Gauff believed to be a private space, was broadcast and quickly went viral.
Among the loudest was Swiatek, the world number two. “The question is, are we tennis players or are we animals in a zoo where we watch them even when they poop?” she said.
Tiley, speaking publicly to the Tennis Channel for the first time since the issue surfaced, said the tournament was listening carefully to players’ concerns. “We want to listen to the players, we want to really understand their needs and wants,” he said. “So that’s the first question we’re going to ask — we’ve heard you — and whatever adjustments we need to make, we will.
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Tiley explained that while cameras are allowed in certain shared areas, such as the players’ gym, strict boundaries are already in place. “There are other rooms that are off-limits,” he said, pointing to locker rooms, coaches’ rooms and rest areas.“It’s a fine line between promoting the player and promoting the event and where the cameras are,” Tiley acknowledged. He emphasized that the balance between access and privacy will continue to be reviewed. “We will continue to review it and make sure the players are on board with it.”At the same time, Tiley defended the intent behind the behind-the-scenes coverage. “We also want to bring the fan and the player closer together,” he said, adding that increased visibility can help “increase their value and also the love that the fans have for them”.Finally, he conceded, “It’s a fine line we have to walk.”
