Why I rejected COVID-19 vaccine, Novak Djokovic opens up

World No 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic said he would not be forced to get COVID-19 vaccine, stating that he is willing to sacrifice his Grand Slam record hopes by not getting the vaccine.

Despite watching his rival, Rafael Nadal, winning a record 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne last month, the world No 1 says he will not defend his Wimbledon or French Open titles if the tournaments require mandatory vaccination for competitors.

Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, was deported from Australia ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year after 11 days following two visa cancellations, two court challenges and five nights at an immigration detention hotel.

Despite winning the first court case, Djokovic ended up losing the battle to compete in Melbourne as he was deported the day before the tournament started.

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According to the tennis star, he’s not against anti-vaccination, but he is prepared to miss Wimbledon, French Open and any tournament in order to maintain control of what goes into his body, and the right to choose.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion in an interview with BBC said he is ready to skip this year’s French Open and Wimbledon over their current vaccine requirements for entry into the country.

He went on to explain: “Because 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.”

Djokovic believes in the freedom to “choose what you put in your body” and has so far decided against getting the vaccination “based on all the information that I got”.

He added: “For me, as an elite professional athlete I have always carefully reviewed and assessed everything that comes in, from the supplements, the food, the water that I drink or sports drinks, anything really that comes into my body as a fuel.”

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Djokovic received plenty of backlash after his arrival in Australia last month, into a country which had been in strict lockdown throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The furore continued further when suggestions emerged that Djokovic’s positive test in mid-December had been tampered with.

Djokovic vehemently denied that notion before opening up on his time in detention Down Under.

“I was really sad and disappointed with the way it all ended for me in Australia,” he added. “It wasn’t easy.

“The visa declaration error was not deliberately made. It was accepted and confirmed by the Federal Court and the minister himself in the Ministry for Immigration in Australia.

“So actually, 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.

“All of that was actually approved and validated by the Federal Court of Australia and the Minister for Immigration.