Backlash against ‘whinging’ quarantined Australian Open stars grows as Nick Kyrgios calls Novak Djokovic ‘a tool’ and a player’s girlfriend receives DEATH THREATS for saying she ‘has to wash her own hair’

• Tennis stars are quarantining in hotels ahead of the Australian Open on Feb. 8
• Some have complained about the conditions, drawing ire from the public
• Novak Djokovic was criticised for writing to Tennis Australia asking for players to be quarantined in private homes with gyms and training facilities
• Vanessa Sierra, girlfriend of player Bernard Tomic, has received death threats over a video where she jokes about not having access to a hairdresser
• At least seven people among the 1,000 who travelled to Australia have so far tested positive for Covid-19 

Backlash has grown against ‘whinging’ quarantined Australian Open stars as Nick Kyrgios branded Novak Djokovic ‘a tool’ for demanding that strict Covid quarantine rules be relaxed for players.

Kyrgios also branded out at Vanessa Sierra – girlfriend of Bernard Tomic – ‘ridiculous’ for complaining that she had to wash her own hair in quarantine, as she revealed she has gotten death threats over the remark. 

Organisers of the tournament had already been facing criticism for flying in tennis stars from around the world to take part, with the athletes’ complaints about quarantine measures worsening the backlash.  

Seven people among the more than 1,000 who travelled to largely coronavirus-free Australia for the tournament have tested positive for Covid-19, according to health officials.

This includes two new cases in players which were confirmed on Tuesday and cases which came to light on three of the charter flights. 

Djokovic was branded a ‘tool’ by Kyrgios on Twitter after the world number one reportedly issued a list of demands for players undergoing quarantine. 

‘Djokovic is a tool,’ Kyrgios posted in a tweet that also criticised Bernard Tomic’s girlfriend Vanessa Sierra for posting a video where she joked about not having access to a hairdresser.

World number one Novak Djokovic is among the Australian Open players who have been criticised for complaining about having to quarantine in hotels. Djokovic is among several players with better facilities, such as rooms with balconies. Pictured: Djokovic on the balcony of his hotel room in Adelaide, Australia on Tuesday

Australian player Nick Kyrgios was among the chorus of critics, branding Djokovic ‘a tool’ and criticising Bernard Tomic’s girlfriend Vanessa Sierra for a video in which she joked about not having access to a hairdresser

Complaints from stars undergoing a mandatory 14 days of quarantine in hotels prior to this year’s first Grand Slam have drawn ire from the public in Victoria, which emerged from a four-month lockdown in October. Pictured: Djokovic waves from his balcony on Tuesday

Seven people among the more than 1,000 who travelled to largely coronavirus-free Australia for the tournament have tested positive for Covid-19, according to health officials. Pictured: Djokovic watches a young fan play tennis under his hotel room on Tuesday

Djokovic, 33, the reigning Australian Open champion, is among a select group of stars – including Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal – allowed to fly into Adelaide and enjoy better facilities such as hotel rooms with balconies, unlike the majority quarantining in Melbourne.

The Serb star wrote a letter to Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley, calling on him to arrange practice time for fellow 72 players who are confined to hotel rooms.

He also suggested players could be quarantined in private houses in Melbourne with tennis courts and gym facilities.

Djokovic’s comments were met with backlash, with some pointing out that they would not take advice from the 17-time Grand Slam champion who himself had tested positive for coronavirus in June last year after hosting the Adria Tour tournament in Croatia and Serbia without apparent social distancing or other measures to stop the spread of coronavirus. 

Several other players also tested positive along with Djokovic’s wife Jelena. 

Vanessa Sierra, the girlfriend of player Bernard Tomic, said she had received death threats over a video in which she jokes about having to wash her own hair in quarantine

Australian media portrayed the request as petulant and selfish, while showing images of Djokovic not wearing a mask in a players’ minibus, which would be required in most taxis and ride-shares in Australia.

However, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley defended Djokovic, saying his letter merely contained ‘suggestions and ideas’, not demands.

World number 13 Roberto Bautista Agut has also complained of the conditions in hotel rooms, telling a TV station that quarantine was like prison ‘with wifi’, calling the arrangements a ‘complete disaster’. 

Tiley said Australia’s strict quarantine rules were initially a ‘shock’ to some players but most had told him during a conference call that they accepted the restrictions and wanted to apologise for the comments of a disgruntled few.

‘The majority of the players have been absolutely fantastic and this is a playing group that’s a little bit upset with what some others have said because it holds them in a bad light in the community,’ Tiley told reporters.

Sierra pointed out that she gave tens of thousands of dollars over Christmas to people in need due tot he pandemic

Sierra (left) and her boyfriend Bernard Tomic (right) are among 72 tennis stars and their entourages currently in hard hotel lockdown after they were deemed to be close contacts of six Covid-infected passengers on charter flights into Melbourne

Belinda Bencic finds a way to train while in mandatory hotel quarantine ahead of the tournament

Marcelo Arévalo González (pictured) practised volleys using his mattress while in lockdown

He also ruled out cutting the maximum duration of men’s matches from five sets to three during the tournament, which begins on February 8, to help players whose preparation had been compromised by quarantine lockdown.

‘We haven’t entertained those comments or that position,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Kyrgios also took aim at fellow Australian player Tomic’s girlfriend Sierra after she posted a tongue-and-cheek online video about the struggles of quarantine, including having to wash her own hair.

‘This is the worst part of quarantine,’ Sierra said in the video, showing off her messy mane.

Outspoken tennis star Nick Kyrgios blasted Sierra on Twitter, saying: ‘I don’t mind Bernie but his Mrs obviously has no perspective, ridiculous scenes’. Pictured: Kyrgios during the 2020 Australian Open [File photo]

French player Alize Cornet shared two photos taken from her own hotel quarantine stay in Melbourne

High-ranking players including Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka (pictured) and Rafael Nadal were allowed to fly into Adelaide and enjoy better facilities such as hotel rooms with balconies, unlike the majority quarantining in Melbourne

She told followers that she has never washed her own hair and usually has it done by hairdressers twice a week. 

‘I can’t wait to get out of quarantine just so I can get my hair done,’ she said. 

Some have slammed Sierra’s comments as tone deaf but she insists they have been taken out of context. 

She has posted several videos from quarantine, describing the lack of space in the room for training and how she has been passing the time. 

‘I don’t mind Bernie but his Mrs obviously has no perspective, ridiculous scenes,’ Kyrgios tweeted. 

Sierra has said that she has received death threats over her comments which were made in a lighthearted vlog then picked up by the media.

‘Did not make any complaints – simply did a daily vlog as I always do about my life and circumstances – I even said I don’t mind the food situation in quarantine,’ Sierra wrote in an Instagram story.

She also said that she gave away tens of thousands of dollars during quarantine to help those in need but that this had been ignored by the media in their criticism of her latest comments. 

Source: Read Full Article