Given the choice between winning more Grand Slam titles and not getting the Covid-19 vaccine, Novak Djokovic says he would choose not getting the vaccine.
It remains to be seen if those two events become mutually exclusive, but if they do then it’s no vaccine and no Grand Slam participation for Djokovic. The world No. 1 confirmed that sentiment in an interview with the BBC on Tuesday.
“Yes, that is the price that I’m willing to pay,” Djokovic responded when asked about that choice.
The 34-year-old already paid a big price at the Australian Open, where he arrived last month expecting to play after getting a medical exemption from Tennis Australia. The Australian government had other ideas, however, and following a wild 10-day saga Djokovic’s visa was revoked and he was deported a day before the season’s first major began.
Adding insult to injury, the 20-time slam champion saw Rafael Nadal break a tie atop the all-time list by winning No. 21.
Djokovic’s status for the French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open is uncertain. He would currently be unable to play at Roland Garros, but vaccination rules in France could change before May rolls around. Wimbledon follows almost immediately thereafter, and athletes have been able to get medical exemptions in Great Britain if unvaccinated depending on various factors. As for the U.S. Open, USTA officials say they will comply with whatever government rules state in late August.
‘The principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else,” Djokovic added. “I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can.
“Based on all the information that I got, I decided not to take the vaccine as of today.”
thoughts?
Idiot! When a selfish prick
what an idiot
NoVax’ son wants a pic with Rafa. Shame to disappoint the kid.
Thoughts? He is an ignoramus! Vaccines work! I know because my generation was the first to get the polio vaccine. Guess what! No more polio! No more smallpox! There is a list of diseases and viruses that were eradicated because of vaccines! Wake p up! This is the 21st century! We are not in the dark ages!
I think he believes that vaccines work. It’s just he also believes that something terrible will happen if he puts it into his “sacred” body. Like he’d be defiling the temple. He does have some very strange beliefs. I’ve read that he’s still terribly upset that he had to have surgery on his arm in early 2018. He’s supposed to be able to heal himself by thinking holy thoughts or something of that sort. I think he also believes that he can just waltz back into winning slams once vaccines are no longer required. We’ll see.
I have no idea what is going on with Novak. Nothing will happen if he gets vaccinated. Except that he will have immunity and won’t go around infecting others.
I have zero patience with this anti-vaccine nonsense. Look at pictures of children in iron lungs or paralyzed from polio. Or the ones who dued. Then tell me about not getting vaccinated.
The ones who DIED!
My take from watching the interview.
He said he caught COVID on 16th December.
He attended an event with a lot of kids on 17th but said once he got the results (later that day), he got in touch with those who attended and told them he tested positive. He said he wouldn’t have attended if he had seen his positive test result before the event.
A large no of people and absolutely one leaked to media or posted to social media that Novak had COVID. I counted 26 other people in the photo shown in the interview and I’m sure there were plenty of family members behind the camera, very strange…
He met a journalist the next day, because he respects the l’equipe newspaper he works for, because he has a great relationship with that journalist Frank who he has known for years and didn’t want to let him down. The journalist already stated he didn’t know Djokovic had COVID until it became public in January. If I respected someone I had a great relationship with for years I wouldn’t have met them while having COVID!
Why tell all those kids but not the journalist? Something doesn’t add up,,,,,
yep, the journalist thing was unacceptable
If thats what he wants to do its totally up to him and his right- apart from the bit about playing the part we all have to in protecting everyone
Well you can’t protect everyone if you are running around unvaccinated. Ignorance is not an attractive quality. Vaccines work. Period. There is nothing to be afraid of, no reason not to do it. It is a Godsend. Better than my grandmother putting camphor around the necks of my mother and aunt to ward off polio!
Absolutely 100% correct sir, perfect way to say it
sir?
i’ll give him credit for sticking to his principles….but I have to agree w/the above statements….”Vaccines WORK”…and science is not fancy…it’s fact….get the vaccine!
I’m sure Djok will play Wimbledon. Johnson is hell bent on lifting restrictions and doubt, unless there’s a new variant, there’ll be any restrictions in place end June.
Dunno about RG
I am a big fan of Rafa and was never a fan of Djokovic.
I do respect Djokovic for 2 things:
1. Sticking to his beliefs, and I know how much this brings the vaccine issue and whether it is the person’s right given that he represents risk to the people around him. But to stick to your principles and sacrifice your biggest goal, we have to respect this.
2. Allowing your son to cheer for Nadal during the final, shows a lot of maturity.
No we don’t have to respect this. What if everyone exercised their individual rights not to get vaccinated in a pandemic? Where would we be then? Health systems would collapse. Huge numbers of people would die. Variants would multiply, potentially leading to an untreatable strain of the virus.
In a pandemic the rights of the individual don’t trump the rights of the many and most especially the vulnerable. Let’s be clear when we talk about living with the virus ie letting it rip, we are talking about killing off people in low paid jobs who have no choice but to be exposed to it. We are talking about people with health problems not being able to go out. And the ICUs being full up with overwhelmingly unvaccinated people so that those with cancer or heart disease can’t get life saving operations.
This is fantastic pr for the anti vaxxers who are celebrating wildly and it does actually prove the Australian government ‘s argument in deporting him. Saying you are not anti vax while making statements which aid their cause and make you into their hero simply won’t do.
This is on top of the disastrous Adra tour. The doubts about the validity of the test. The seeing people when he had supposedly tested positive. It’s BS when you add it all together.
If millions of people hadn’t gone out and got vaccinated and followed rules the slams wouldn’t even be being played. Or if they were there certainly wouldn’t be any crowds. People who aren’t vaccinated want to profit off the conditions created by those who have been.
Well said, Amy! “Sticking to his principles?!” What principles are those? Those of a two year old, scared of what that needle will do to him! Those principles?? Give me a break! He’s no hero. He’s just scared. I do feel sorry for him.
Kids see the natural goodness in people and they like people with a clear heart. From what I have read Rafa is hugely popular with kids n teenagers ..maybe the sleeveless ts n physicality have something to do with it.
But frankly if Stefan loves rafa ,why will djokovic stop him? Djokovic will be more than happy if Rafa is stefans role model ..Rafa is all about grit ,determination ,fight n overcoming adversity .which parent will not want their kid to imbibe these qualities ?
For the record djokovics brother djorde is on record saying he is a crazy fan of Rafa in his younger days n used to copy him ..