"Not sure Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic would've come if they had the same hotel as we do" - Philipp Oswald
With each passing day, Tennis Australia’s decision to house Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem in Adelaide while lodging the rest of the players in Melbourne is looking increasingly ill-advised.
Philipp Oswald, a 42-ranked doubles player, recently spoke out against the seemingly imbalanced rules in place for the 2021 Australian Open. Oswald feels Tennis Australia has been biased towards Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem, while housing the lower-ranked players in difficult conditions.
Oswald even questioned if the three would have taken part in the event if they were accommodated in a similar facility to the rest of the tour. The Austrian believes that while Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic deserve their perks, the preferential treatment they are getting is 'unfair' to the others.
"The top stars are always treated better," Oswald said. "But they earned it somewhere because they bring the money and the whole tour lives off of them. Normally the players have no problem with this hierarchy, because it is about Rafa or Domi practicing at the best time on Centre Court. (But) Now they are allowed to practice more."
"It's really unfair if you look at it objectively," Oswald added. "But that's the balancing act that Tennis Australia has to manage. They wanted to please the top players so that they would even come. I don't know if all the players would have got on the plane if they had known that if one of the 80 passengers had a positive case, they would have to be put into a hard quarantine. I'm also not sure if Rafa or Novak would have come if they had the same hotel as we do."
While the exact differences between the accommodations in Melbourne and Adelaide are unknown, reports suggest there is a major disparity. The hotel rooms in Adelaide are considerably more spacious, and they also appear to be better maintained.
The relative lack of hygiene in the Melbourne hotels was highlighted by WTA star Yulia Putintseva on Saturday, as she spotted a mouse in her accommodation.
Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Dominic Thiem have a gym in their hotel, but we don't: Philipp Oswald
Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley has previously mentioned that Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem would be residing in similar conditions to the rest of the tour in Melbourne. However some of Oswald’s recent comments suggest that that it is not the case.
The Austrian asserted that Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem are being housed in better conditions, and revealed that there have been several discussions on this topic among the players in Melbourne.
The Austrian also confirmed what many had suspected all along: that Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem have been allowed to travel with more than the stipulated two-member support team. Additionally, Oswald revealed that the top 3 also have a gym in their facility - a comfort not afforded to the players staying in Melbourne.
"I'm not there, of course, but I know there has been a lot of discussion in the player chat," Oswald said. "Conditions are much better in Adelaide. First, players were allowed to take a lot more staff with them. Medvedev and Zverev, for example, were only allowed to take two people with them, while Thiem, Nadal and Djokovic each came with 10 people. They also have a gym in their hotel. So they don't have to do their fitness exercises during the five-hour period. You only have the five hours to play tennis. There was a huge discussion and the other players were also upset."Â
Rafael Nadal is believed to be traveling with five members of his team, which is more than what other players have been allowed. Francisco Roig (coach), Rafael Maymo (physio), Sebastian Nadal (father), Carlos Costa (agent) and Benito Perez Barbadillo (PR Manager) have all reportedly traveled to Australia with the World No. 2.