Tennis Star, Novak Djokovic says he would rather forfeit future tournaments than take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gatekeepers News reports that Djokovic has revealed that he will refuse to play at future Grand Slams if it means he has to take a COVID-19 vaccine.
The tennis star during his first interview after his farcical deportation from Australia last month told the BBC that he was not an anti-vaxxer. However, Djokovic took a stand for individual rights by saying “my body is more important than any title or anything else.”
He also vowed to sacrifice his place in French Open twice and Wimbledon if a vaccination is required to compete, saying “That is the price I am willing to pay.”
In January, Djokovic became the world’s most prominent vaccine sceptic, when Australia kicked him out of the country and refused to let him compete in the tournament in a U-turn after he was initially allowed into the country with a medical exemption from having to provide proof of vaccination.
The Serbian currently faces a similar situation ahead of the French Open in May, after the country’s Health Minister last month said athletes must be vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19 to participate in competitions.
Head of French President Emmanuel Macron’s LREM ruling party group, Christophe Castaner, said the prospect of an unvaccinated Djokovic defending his title was “out of the question.”
In a related development, although the UK government did not mandate athletes to get vaccinated, Wimbledon has also provided no guarantee that Djokovic will be able to play at this summer’s Grand Slam in South West London.
Meanwhile, Djokovic’s closest rival Rafael Nadal went on to win the tournament Down Under, taking his Grand Slam tally to 21, one more than the Serb’s haul of 20.
Earlier this month, there were speculations that the 34-year-old was considering taking the jab to eclipse the Spaniard’s total.
He has however broken his silence on the visa saga in an interview with BBC’s Amol Rajan, stating that he would choose not to play at future tournaments — foregoing his chance to be statistically considered tennis’ greatest male player — if he has to take the vaccine to compete.
