Djoković said he should not be associated with the anti-vaccine movement, although he supports individual freedom of choice. When asked if he would sacrifice tournaments such as Wimbledon and Roland Garros because of his position on vaccination, he replied, “Yes.” That’s a price I’m willing to pay.
The Serb does not change his mind. He still hasn’t decided to get vaccinated and for this reason he has not been able to play at the Australian Open. Although he arrived in Melbourne and claimed to have a medical certificate, he was eventually deported from Australia. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has canceled a tennis player’s visa, arguing that his presence could cause public unrest and anti-vaccine sentiment.
For Djokovic, rules are more important than titles
“I have never been against vaccinations,” the Serb assures, confirming that he was vaccinated as a child. “But I’ve always advocated the freedom to choose what you put into your body,” she adds, however. Why would he prefer not to play in the biggest tournaments than to get the vaccine? – Because the rules for making decisions about my body are more important than any title. I try to live in harmony with my body as much as I can – he explains.
After winning the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal overtook him in an elite race to win 21 Grand Slam titles. Djoković and Roger Federer each have 20 titles. If the Serb does not play in May, Nadal’s advantage may increase, as he will be the main favorite as a 13-time Paris champion.
Djoković hopes that the vaccination requirements for some tournaments will change and hopes to “play for many more years” in the process.
This year, the Serb will turn 35. He is younger than Nadal and Federer, and he does not complain of injuries and pains. Nevertheless, he risks a lot, because it is not known when the pandemic will end and how long the covid restrictions will remain with us. Djoković is a tennis genius, but will he return to competition in top form if for – let’s say – the next two years he will skip the most important tennis arenas?
Will he be vaccinated later?
The leader of the ranking has left the door to change his mind. He stated that he was “open minded” about the possibility of future vaccinations. – We are all trying to find the best solution to end this. Everyone around the world is trying to put a lot of effort into the fight against this virus, he admitted.
Djoković says he’s not an anti-vaccine, but that’s exactly what he is doing. Like an egoist for whom only his own good counts. He himself has been ill twice (or so he claims), but as a professional athlete he has horse health and a limited risk of complications from the virus. Contrary to the people around him: kids to serve, referees, tournament organizers, fans, or other ordinary people with whom he socializes every day.
Selfishness
His selfishness also showed during the saga before the Australian Open. It turned out that in December, despite obtaining a positive test result, a day later he met, inter alia, with the journalist and photographer “L’Equipe”, and previously photographed with children at the academy in Belgrade. In turn, at the beginning of the pandemic, when the tennis games were interrupted for fear for the health of the players, he organized his own series of tournaments, the Adria Tour. Fans in the stands, players without masks, without keeping social distance, all smiling, close to the fans. Effect? We know that several tennis players got sick, including Djoković, so probably other participants in this event as well.
The Serb thinks mainly about himself. It was similar in 2020, when he hit the referee with the ball in anger, and in Tokyo at the Olympics, when he threw a racket at the stands. He is not aware of how much his words and actions weigh as one of the greatest athletes in the world.
“It’s hard to say what more Novak needs or needs to know. He says there is not enough information about vaccinations, but he doesn’t indicate which,” notes the BBC.
In the interview, the Serb also referred to the issue of deportation from Australia. He admitted that he did not know anything about any attempts to manipulate his tests, as indicated by the investigations of the BBC and “Der Spiegel”. – I understand that people come up with different theories, but no one is happy when they get the coronavirus. Millions of people around the world are struggling with COVID-19, he said.
“During the interview, Djoković continually tried to distance himself from the anti-vaccine movement. But his actions speak louder than words. He says he recognizes the impact the pandemic has had on the world, but has given up the best form available – vaccines – to remedy it,” writes The Guardian. .
It is also a manifestation of Djokovic’s hypocrisy, who, on the one hand, emphasizes the importance of the problem, and, on the other hand, increases the threat itself. In the spring of 2020, he provided, inter alia, over a million dollars for the hospital in Bergamo, only to organize a series of tennis tournaments without safety rules.
A special diet and the Chinese biological clock
“Novak Djokovi lights one candle for the god of science and the other for the devil of superstition. He does not oppose the vaccine, but refuses to take it. So he recognizes the existence of evil that justifies,” reads El Mundo’s article entitled “Djoković – Public Danger.”
Djokovic’s foundation is at least in line with the way he approaches his career. In his youth, he had health problems and breathing difficulties. Since then, he has changed his diet and cares a lot about the body. He does not eat gluten, dairy products, he has limited the use of sugar. “You may mock his view that the power of positive thinking will make contaminated water clean, but that’s what drives him,” points out the BBC.
A Serb starts each day with a glass of warm water and two tablespoons of manuka honey. He is a supporter of the Chinese biological clock. The Chinese claim that each organ has its two hours of the day when it reaches its maximum and minimum efficiency. In an interview with the BBC, the leader of the ATP ranking confirmed his determination to maintain his views – however wrong they may appear to us.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
