Australian Open: Quarantined tennis players are getting creative in their hotel rooms

Hitting balls against a mattress and running 5km, quarantined tennis players are getting creative as they try to kill time in their hotel rooms before next month's Australian Open.

Passengers on three Australian Open charter flights have been sent into hard quarantine, with more than 70 players unable to train outside their hotel rooms for 14 days ahead of the year's first Grand Slam that begins on February 8.

Other players who arrived on different flights are also undertaking a mandatory quarantine but are permitted to leave their hotel rooms for five hours a day to train.

Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas has become the star of the show, first of all practising his backhand against an upturned mattress, before continuing his beach-themed videos after pretending to ride the waves on his bed by "sunbathing" in front of his window.

• Judy Murray: London 2012 made me feel like I didn't matter
• Watson one of 72 players isolating

World No 5 Elina Svitolina, Australia's Alex De Minaur and British stars Katie Boulter, Heather Watson and Johanna Konta were among those who posted on social media about the delays.

There have been notably fewer social media posts from players complaining about their lot, which went down like a lead balloon in a city that endured one of the world's strictest lockdowns, but Bernard Tomic's girlfriend Vanessa Sierra has been ridiculed for a YouTube video about their quarantine experience.

In it, Sierra, who appeared on Australian Love Island, complains about the food supplied by the hotel and says her biggest concern is having to wash her own hair rather than visit the salon twice a week.

"I'm committed to do whatever it takes to get ready despite the circumstances. Time to get creative," Tunisia's Ons Jabeur said in a tweet.

World No 38 Barbora Strycova posted a video of herself assembling an exercise bike and joked she may have found her true calling.

"Anyone in need of my services? We can make it happen after these 14 days," Strycova added.

• Download the Sky Sports Scores App: Apple | Android
• The UK's No 1 scores app: Find out more

However, American Reilly Opelka said he was not a fan of the videos and said players should count themselves lucky to be in Melbourne for the tournament.

"I find tennis players sharing their quarantine workouts on their Instagram story so non-amusing. We already saw these same videos six months ago," Opelka tweeted.

"Not even something to joke about. We're fortunate enough to even be in Australia."

Don't forget to follow us on skysports.com/tennis, our Twitter account @skysportstennis & Sky Sports - on the go! Available to download now on - iPhone & iPad and Android