<p>Australian Open boss Craig Tiley said on Sunday there was still &ldquo;quite a bit to play out&rdquo; on whether Novak Djokovic will defend his title in Melbourne, with a clearer picture &ldquo;in the coming days.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The 20-time Grand Slam champion has refused to confirm if he has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and withdrew from the ATP Cup in Sydney this week without giving a reason.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img title="Craig Tiley" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2022/jan/novak-three-jan-b_e.jpg" alt="Craig Tiley" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Craig Tiley</em></strong></p>
<p>All participants at the opening Grand Slam of the year, which starts January 17, need to be vaccinated or have a medical exemption.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There is speculation that Djokovic has applied for one, which would be assessed by an independent panel of experts and remain confidential. Tiley said the clock was ticking.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Few flights still to arrive</h2>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve still got a few charter flights coming in until the end of this week and then all the players will be here,&rdquo; he told the Nine Network.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;As far as the status relates to Novak, I think we&rsquo;ll have a much clearer picture in the coming days otherwise it&rsquo;s getting pretty late to show up and play the Australian Open. There&rsquo;s quite a bit to play out and I think it will play out in the coming days,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Government officials in Victoria state, which hosts the Australian Open, have been adamant for months that only vaccinated players can play the tournament.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;They&rsquo;re the rules. Medical exemptions are just that&mdash;it&rsquo;s not a loophole for privileged tennis players,&rdquo; the state&rsquo;s Deputy Premier James Merlino said in December.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Rafa arrives in Oz</h2>
<p>Djokovic&rsquo;s arch-rival Rafael Nadal, who is also gunning for record 21st Grand Slam title, is already in Melbourne preparing after recovering from the Coronavirus.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Fellow 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is sidelined by injury.</p>
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Clearer picture over Serbian World No.1 Novak Djokovic’s Melbourne participation will appear soon, says Australian Open chief Craig Tiley 

‘Quite a bit to play out’

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‘Quite a bit to play out’

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