Novak Djokovic has reportedly sent Australian Open boss Craig Tiley a letter with six points he would like actioned for frustrated players who are in lockdown in Melbourne.
There are 72 competitors now in 14 days isolation after further positive COVID-19 tests from their charter flights to Melbourne.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews on Monday announced another four positive cases linked to the flights, bringing the total to nine – including one unnamed player.
The fresh blow to preparations for the tournament comes as world No.1 Djokovic reportedly called on Tennis Australia to fulfil a list of requests.
Djokovic was the former president of the ATP Player Council but resigned to set up the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association).
Among the points, according to Spanish tennis website Punto de Break, Djokovic wants the days of isolation reduced, the ability for players to see their coach or trainer, and as many players as possible moved to private houses with a tennis court to facilitate training.
He also wanted better food and more fitness equipment delivered to the rooms of players.
Andrews shut down Djokovic’s ideas about reducing the duration of quarantine.
“People are free to provide lists of demands but the answer is no,” Andrews said.
The Premier also said that the rules regarding close contacts were firmly laid out for players before their arrival after a number complained they weren’t warned that all aboard the flights would go into lockdown.
“I know that there’s been a bit of chatter from a number of players about the rules – well, the rules apply to them as they apply to everybody else, and they were all briefed on that before they came and that was a condition on which they came,” he said.
“There’s no special treatment here … because a virus doesn’t treat you specially.”
Djokovic’s demands have been criticised on social media given his involvement in organising the shambolic Adria Tour, a tennis exhibition series in Serbia and Croatia held without any social distancing measures in place that resulted in positive COVID-19 cases to numerous players involved – including the Serbian himself.
Djokovic and some the game’s biggest stars including Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal are preparing for the Open in Adelaide, where they will play an exhibition on January 29.
There have been claims those players have better training conditions and were allowed to bring more staff than the one person allocated to players in Melbourne.
Despite the chaos, Tiley has ruled out delaying the tennis grand slam a second time after it was initially put back three weeks.
The Commissioner for COVID-19 Quarantine in Victoria, Emma Cassar said police presence had been increased at the Open hotels and added that there had been cases of “challenging behaviour” from some confined players and support staff.
She cited two cases when hotel room doors were opened to have a conversation or shout down the hallway.
“There is zero tolerance for breaches,” she said.
“It’s low level but dangerous acts that we just can’t tolerate.”
Cassar warned the players and support staff could be fined up to $20,000 or repeat offenders transferred to the complex care hotel where they have a police officer stationed outside their door.