'I Was Never Anti-Vax': Djokovic Opens Up About Being 'Treated As Villain'

| by Evita Mueller

Novak Djokovic sat down with John McEnroe for an ESPN+ feature where they talked about several things, including his decision not to get vaccinated.

Novak Djokovic didn't get vaccinated, exercising the belief that everybody has a right to do with their body whatever they please. It's something he deeply believes in, and he simply didn't want to take something that could have any impact on his body and his career.

He trusted his health to be good enough to deal with any virus infection if it happened. It eventually happened, and despite contracting the virus, Djokovic suffered seemingly no consequences. He did suffer off the court, though, as the decision made him public enemy number one in tennis.

It was tough because indirectly, it cost him the Australian Open participation as he was deported, and the US Open as he couldn't enter the country, and therefore he also had to miss ATP 1000 events played in the North America before that.

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Being looked at and being treated as the villain of the world. I just wanted to compete and play tennis; that's what I do best. I was never anti-vax. I was always pro-free to choose and I feel like a lot of people had a choice really.

Whether vaccine mandates were right or wrong is debatable, but those who chose not to get vaccinated weren't really granted the same access as those who did get vaccinated.

Djokovic reiterated in the interview with McEnroe that he was willing to stand by his beliefs even at the cost of losing out on trophies, which he certainly did. That's how important he deemed the freedom to choose to be.

The only big interview I've done with BBC after my deportation. They asked me 'Are you willing to sacrifice eventually becoming the greatest ever and winning the most Grand Slams?' I said yeah. Doesn't matter.

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