Nick Kyrgios has criticized former Davis Cup player Sam Groth for criticizing Novak Djokovic after the Serbian world no. 1 allegedly wrote to the Australian Open organizers and asked to ease the restrictions on quarantine for players.
Passengers who arrived on three charter flights were placed in harsh quarantine, including more than 70 players who could not train outside their rooms for 14 days before the first Grand Slam of the year began on February 8.
A Spanish tennis website reports Djokovic writes to Craig Tiley, boss of Tennis Australia, with a list of ‘demands’, calling for fewer isolation periods and that players should move to ‘private homes with tennis courts’.
Djokovic’s management team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kyrgios repeatedly criticized Djokovic in 2020 for organizing the Adria Tour exhibition event in the Balkans, where several players, including the top-ranked Serbia, contracted the virus.
“Djokovic is an instrument,” Kyrgios, who was 47th in the world rankings, said on Twitter.
Djokovic, who chose to rent a private home instead of staying in a hotel during the US Open in 2020, is one of the top players serving his mandatory quarantine in Adelaide before traveling to Melbourne for the year’s first Grand Slam.
Many Australians doubt the decision to host the tournament with organizers flying in 1,200 players and their surroundings when thousands of citizens were stranded overseas due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Djokovic, who set up the professional tennis players ‘breakaway association last year after resigning as head of ATP’s players’ council, wanted to be popular, the Australian Groth said.
“Is he serious? It’s a selfish political move to gain popularity,” he wrote in his News Ltd column.
Groth also pointed to the criticism Djokovic received over the organization of the Adria tour in June.
“To suggest that players should have shorter quarantines is not only ridiculous, but insulting to Australians who have had to endure it,” Groth added.
What did he think would happen? It [Victoria’s Premier] Then Andrews would say, ‘Sure Novak, anything you want’? Save me. ‘
Bernard Tomic’s girlfriend, Vanessa Sierra, pulls flakes from Kyrgios after she complained that the food served in their hotel room in quarantine was cold and grumbled because she had to wash her own hair.
“This is the worst part of quarantine,” Sierra said on her YouTube channel. “I have not washed my own hair. I have never washed my own hair. It’s just not something I do. I usually have hairdressers who do it for me twice a week.
“This is the situation we are dealing with. I can not wait to get out of quarantine so I can get my hair done.”
Kyrgios, 25, who violated the tennis players who broke up against COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, was no entertainment.
“I do not care about Bernie, but his wife obviously has no perspective, ridiculous scenes,” Kyrgios tweeted.