MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA) – Adding to Kazakhstan tennis star Yulia Putintseva’s quarantine woes in a Melbourne hotel is the presence of an unwanted roommate in the form of a mouse.
Putintseva is among 47 Australian Open players and their entourages who have been told to go into isolation for two weeks after two coronavirus cases were reported on the two chartered flights in which they arrived in Melbourne.
The world number 28 who arrived on the flight from Abu Dhabi was already upset after claiming she was not told that all the players aboard the plane would be quarantined in case an infection was detected.
The condition of Putintseva’s room in Melbourne has not helped calm the situation.
“Been trying to change the room for two hours already! No one came to help due to quarantine situation,” Putintseva said in a post on Twitter that was accompanied by a video of the mouse scurrying about her room.
The video prompted British tennis player Andy Murray’s mother Judy to joke Putintseva needed a cat to solve the problem.
Some social media users have hit out at players complaining about having to strictly stay in hotels, prompting Swiss world number 12 Belinda Bencic to clear the air.
“We’re not complaining to be in quarantine. We’re complaining because of unequal practice/playing conditions before quite important tournaments,” she tweeted.
Romanian Sorana Cirstea added: “People complaining we are entitled. I have no issues to stay 14 days in the room watching Netflix. Believe me this is a dream come true, holiday even.
“What we can’t do is COMPETE after we’ve stayed 14 days on a couch. This is the issue, not the quarantine rule.”