In his first interview since being deported from Australia last month, Djokovic reiterates his stance on not getting vaccinated against COVID-19, even if it means skipping future majors that requir…
LONDON — If forced to choose, Novak Djokovic said he would skip the French Open and Wimbledon, foregoing the chance to overtake Rafael Nadal’s record haul of 21 Grand Slams titles, rather than get vaccinated against COVID-19.
If need be, not defending his titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and missing other tournaments is “the price that I am willing to pay,” said the 34-year-old Serb, comments likely to further boost his hero status among some opponents of vaccination. “I am trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can,” he said, adding that he has always been careful about everything he ingests. “Based on all the information that I got, I decided not to take the vaccine, as of today.
Djokovic has won the French Open twice, including in 2021, and has six Wimbledon titles, including the last three. “What people probably don’t know is that I was not deported from Australia on the basis that I was not vaccinated, or I broke any rules or that I made an error in my visa declaration,” he said. “The reason why I was deported from Australia was because the minister for immigration used his discretional right to cancel my visa based on his perception that I might create some anti-vax sentiment in the country or in the city, which I completely disagree with.
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