By Tim Parsons-
Novak Djokovic says he is trying to tripple check everything that goes into his body, while expressing an openness to considering changing his mind on the issue of being vaccinated in the future.
During an interview with Serbian public broadcaster RTS, the world No 1 said he keeps “an open mind”, over being vaccinated.
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“I am not exclusive, anything is possible in life,” he said. “I decided at this moment not to do it and I am ready to bear consequences.”
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“I am trying to understand this whole situation regarding the pandemic and fight against the virus like every other citizen in the world.
“I have information that everyone else has, and I am trying, as a professional sportsman, which was always the case, to triple-check anything that goes into my body and in which way that can affect me, and if anything changes half per cent, I can feel that.
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“Simply, at that top tennis level, every change can produce positive or negative results. I am merely cautious, and I took some time for myself before I make a decision.”
Djokovic’s refusal to get vaccinated against the virus prevented him from defending his Australian Open title last month, eventually leading to his deportation from the country after his visa was revoked twice.
The entire saga was messy, with many critics on both sides of the spectrum either criticizing the star for refusing to be vaccinated or criticizing the government for being harsh in their treatment of him.
Djokovic told RTS that the events surrounding his deportation were completely unexpected and hard to forget, but insisted that he wants to return to Australia in the future: “I want to play again on Rod Laver Arena.”
In his absence from the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal claimed victory after a marathon five-set match with Daniil Medvevdev. The Spaniard’s success in Melbourne brought him his 21st Grand Slam title, the most in men’s singles history.
The tennis ace will be looking to claim his sixth title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next week since he is not required to be vaccinated to play in the tournament. He is a five-time winner at the event and will be looking to claim a sixth title.
Djokovic will be joined at the hard-court event in Dubai by reigning champion Aslan Karatsev, Andy Murray and top 10 players Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner.
“Simply, at that top tennis level, every change can produce positive or negative results. I am merely cautious, and I took some time for myself before I make a decision.”
Djokovic’s refusal to get vaccinated against the virus prevented him from defending his Australian Open title last month , leading to his eventual deported from the country after his visa was revoked twice.
Djokovic told RTS that the events surrounding his deportation were “completely unexpected” and “hard to forget”, but insisted that he wants to return to Australia in the future: “I want to play again on Rod Laver Arena.”
In his absence from the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal claimed victory after a marathon five-set match with Daniil Medvevdev. The Spaniard’s success in Melbourne brought him his 21st Grand Slam title, the most in men’s singles history.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next week will mark Djokovic’s first event of the season as he is not required to be vaccinated to play in the tournament. He is a five-time winner at the event and will be looking to claim a sixth title.
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