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'F*** man': Tennis star's seething swipe at Australian Open boss

Tennys Sandgren (pictured) pointing to his head in frustration during a match.
Tennys Sandgren (pictured) has hit out at Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley over admitting the players in Adelaide are receiving preferential treatment. (Getty Images)

Controversial tennis star Tennys Sandgren has let rip at Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley after he admitted the top players quarantining in Adelaide are receiving preferential treatment.

Sandgren sparked outrage before the tournament on social media after revealing that he was allowed on an Australian Open charter flight to Melbourne, despite testing positive for COVID-19.

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It was deemed to be viral shedding but he still ended up in 14 days hard lockdown when another passenger tested positive on arrival.

Sandgren praised Tiley at the time for helping him make the trip, but the American’s attitude has changed after recent revelations.

The likes of World No.1 Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have been photographed enjoying the sun on the balconies, while they were able to bring much larger entourages to Australia.

They will play an exhibition in Adelaide on January 31, which Tiley said was a trade-off for the South Australian government agreeing to take some of the hotel quarantine overflow when Melbourne ran out of beds.

The Open chief executive said the drawcards - multiple grand slam winners - were always going to get special treatment.

"I get the feeling it is perceived as preferential treatment," Tiley told the media.

"But they're the top players in the world and my general rule is if you're at the top of the game, a grand slam champion, it's just the nature of the business.

"You are going to get a better deal."

Sandgren wasn't pleased with Tiley's explanation and took to Twitter on Wednesday to let him know.

"Perceived as? F**k man don't contradict yourself in the same paragraph. Call a spade a spade," the American tweeted.

Tennis stars fume over preferential treatment

Other tennis stars are reportedly upset over the extra freedom rewarded to those quarantining in Adelaide.

Osaka, the 2019 Australian Open champion, is clearly happy to have that luxury, posting a video to social media over the weekend of her and four members of her entourage on the practice court.

But it seems the video wasn’t received well by fellow players locked in their hotel rooms, prompting Osaka to delete it.

According to Italian journalist Luca Fiorino, “a revolt broke out” among other players.

“The players are not very happy for the unequal treatment in relation to big players in Adelaide,” Fiorino tweeted.

“This photo of Naomi Osaka has driven their (sic) mad.”

with AAP

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