‘500 death threats’: Tennis star Tomic’s influencer girlfriend snaps back after Australian Open quarantine criticism

Instagram model Vanessa Sierra has hit out at Nick Kyrgios and other critics of her Australian Open quarantine whinge in which she complained about having to wash her own hair while she isolates with boyfriend Bernard Tomic.

Sierra prompted a social media pile-on when a section of an online vlog she posted about the difficulties of enduring enforced isolation ahead of Tomic's participation in the Australian Open was picked up by an Australian news channel. 

Tomic and around 70 other tennis stars are currently in enforced isolation ahead of their participation in the tournament. Strict guidelines are in place in Australia to minimize the spread of Covid-19.

Sierra says that the news segment, which was parroted by tennis loudmouth Kyrgios and in which she bemoans her lack of access to a salon, has led to a torrent of online abuse - mostly from people, she says, who missed the tongue-in-cheek tone to the clip.

"If people actually WATCHED my vlog instead of going off a news story with incorrect facts they would see I was lighthearted about the entire thing and did not make any complaints," she wrote in an Instagram story of the brouhaha. 

"[I] simply did a daily vlog as I always do about my life and circumstances. I didn't realize how many idiots there are in this world."

Sierra explained herself further in a separate Instagram post, slamming those who sent her threatening messages online.

"Never thought I’d wake up to 500 death threats and hate after poking fun at myself about my hair," she wrote.

"Watching the snippets, as an outsider on channel 7’s twisted story with no idea of who I am, what I do, or having watched any of my previous vlogs of course it's going to look bad. How could it not?

"You can shape anything to look bad with a bit of cutting and merging into a negative news story. Had these same people watched my vlog without 7’s influence, I'm sure they would’ve seen my video as tongue in cheek and light hearted, and found it somewhat interesting to have this preview of our lives."

Kyrgios, a man who is no stranger to controversy of his own, was perhaps the biggest name in the sport ridicule Sierra but also took a moment to call out his frequent online sparring partner Djokovic, who he described as "tool" for his own behavior during the enforced quarantine period.

Djokovic had petitioned tennis authorities for a reduced lockdown period, as well as access to private homes, tennis courts and training sessions with their coaches - something which is being refused by Australian authorities.

Kyrgios wasn't alone, either. Former Labour leader Bill Shorten described Sierra's actions as an example of her being "pampered", saying: "Listen, I hadn't heard of this lady Vanessa. But I googled her and I'm not sure she gets Covid and how serious it is.

"Covid's been shocking. People have died, people have lost their jobs, people haven't been able to go to the funerals of their loved ones and you've got these pampered sooks who are having a cry over their conditions," he said. 

"They're elite athletes, I can sympathize. But they get paid a lot of money to come to the Australian Open. Maybe they've just got to see how the rest of the world is putting up with Covid as well."