Australians are angry at the sight of special treatment being given to dozens of tennis stars playing in the Australian Open tennis tournament. Open Organisers are chartering flights so players and staff members can attend the event. Meanwhile, around 37,000 Australians are stranded around the world waiting to return home. Many are frustrated at why they cannot return, while sports stars can enter Australia to play tennis. The tennis stars must have tested negative for coronavirus and stay in special COVID-safe hotels. Some stars tested positive and so could not come.
The special treatment given to the stars has drawn criticism and ire. There is particular anger because Australia's government recently cut the number of citizens allowed to return. One Aussie told the BBC: "I can't comprehend the fact that one week they announce they're halving the caps for citizens and the following week they announce they've found 1,200 spaces for tennis players." A Twitter user wrote: "Letting in...tennis players...is a risky choice, and what hurts is that they'd take that risk for sport but not for stranded Aussies." He said the government can't say it's about the science.