The director of the Australian Open has defended the organisation for doing an “unbelievable job”, despite the bitter row over whether Novak Djokovic can play.

Craig Tiley, the chief executive of Tennis Australia, said in the video to staff that he couldn’t speak publicly because of the ongoing legal dispute over the player’s status, but said they had done everything possible to ensure the viability of the tournament.

“There’s a lot of finger pointing going on and a lot of blaming going on, but I can assure you our team has done an unbelievable job and have done everything they possibly could according to all the instructions that they have been provided,” he said. 

In the video message, published in News Corp newspapers on Saturday, Mr Tiley went on to state: “There’s been a circumstance that relates to a couple of players, Novak particularly… in a situation that is very difficult.

“We’re a player-first event. We’re working closely with Novak and his team, and others and their team, that are in this situation.”