World No.1 Men’s Tennis player Novak Djokovic was previously involved in a controversy regarding COVID-19 vaccination. There was huge incident at the season-opening Grand Slam in Australia. Novak Djokovic’s visa was cancelled last month ahead of the Australian Open over his Covid-19 vaccination status. He flew out of Melbourne after failing in a last-gasp bid to stay following a protracted legal battle with Australian authorities. Recently, Novak Djokovic has said that he is willing to not take part in tournaments if he is asked to be vaccinated.
Novak Djokovic takes a huge risk
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Novak Djokovic said that he is willing to pay a price for the decision he has taken. He was asked if he would forego tournaments like the French Open and Wimbledon if there is a requirement of being vaccinated and quite interestingly, Djokovic answered in the affirmative.
“Yes, that is the price that I’m willing to pay,” he said. “The principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else. I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can,” added the Serbian International.
Novak Djokovic went on to clarify that he is not against vaccination. Here is what he said: “I was never against vaccination. I understand that globally, everyone is trying to put a big effort into handling this virus and seeing, hopefully, an end soon to this virus.”
The visa cancellation had effectively meant that the world’s number one tennis player would be barred from obtaining a new Australian visa for three years, except under exceptional circumstances.
Djokovic’s lawyer Nick Wood had requested an injunction against his removal and appealed for him to be allowed to remain out of immigration detention as the case proceeds. “We are very concerned about time,” Wood said, arguing that the government’s decision was marked by “irrationality.”
The Serbian star was unable to challenge for a 21st Grand Slam singles title and it was his rival Rafael Nadal who beat Daniil Medvedev to become the most decorated male player in tennis history.
