Daniel Andrews slams vocal Australian Open players amid hotel quarantine debacle

Daniel Andrews has chimed in as whinging Australian Open players slam the conditions of a hard 14-day hotel quarantine lockdown.

Daniel Andrews has hit back at Australian Open players unhappy about the 14-day hard lockdown, saying the rules “apply to them as they apply to everybody else”.

It comes as four new infections in hotel quarantine on Monday were all linked to international arrivals landing in Melbourne for the tennis.

The Victorian Premier said he was aware of “chatter” by some players who had voiced controversial opinions about the quarantine rules changing “overnight”.

“They were all briefed on that before they came. And that was the condition on which they came. There’s no special treatment here,” Mr Andrews told reporters on Monday morning.

“There’s still plenty of time for two weeks of quarantine and a buffer that’s built in before February 8 before the tournament starts, and we’ll just have to be guided by the test results that come back from people who have been, by virtue of being on a flight with people who have tested positive, despite having tested negative before they got on the plane.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says all players were briefed before arriving in Melbourne. Picture: David Geraghty/NCA NewsWire

Addressing world No 1 Novak Djokovic’s demands to ditch hotel quarantine and go to private housing, the Premier was blunt.

“People are free to provide lists of demands. But the answer is no,” he said.

“That was very clearly laid out beforehand. So the notion that there’s been any change, the notion that people weren’t briefed – I think that that argument really has no integrity whatsoever.”

Samantha Stosur's coach Rennae Stubbs also had strong opinions about whinging Aus Open players. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP

CHAMPION COACH ALSO BLASTS PLAYERS

TV commentator and former six-times Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs, who now coaches Samantha Stosur, also lashed out at the players on social media.

“I have opinions on these tennis players complaining about the quarantine situation here in oz and for the Australian Open and they’re not going to want to hear it from me,” Stubbs published on an Instagram story.

“It’s got something to do with a minimum of $100,000, free flights, food and lots more, want to talk @ me kids?”

Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud called on whinging Australian Open players to ‘harden up’. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

‘STOP BEING PRIMADONNAS’

In perhaps the most brutal of commentaries, Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud called on whinging Australian Open players to “harden up”.

“I think there might be a few primadonnas among them,” Mr Littleproud told Sky News.

He said the players had every right to come out to Australia to make money but had to respect Victoria’s coronavirus restrictions.

“If you get through to the first round there’s $100,000 on offer,” he said.

“That’s not a bad payday in anyone’s mind.”

“I think they’re being a bit precious and they should just get on with the job.”