Djokovic: I’m not an anti-vaxxer, but I won’t be vaccinated. I prefer to sacrifice titles, my body is more important

Novak Djokovic and vaccinations, it’s one of the biggest sporting causes of 2022. Now the Serbian tennis player has broken his silence and voiced his opinion about the vaccine.

Djokovic didn’t compete at his beloved Australian Open in January because Australia deported him from the country. He has not competed in any tournament since then, nor has he commented on the situation until now.

In an interview with the BBC, he declassified his relationship with the vaccine.

“Everybody is trying to end this pandemic and the vaccine is probably the biggest effort that has been made and I fully respect that. But I’ve always supported the freedom of what you put in your body. I’m an elite athlete, I watch what I eat and what I drink and based on the information I have, I’ve decided not to get vaccinated,” Djokovic said.

“I know the consequences of my decisions and one of them was that I couldn’t go to Australia and I was prepared for that. I understand that I can’t compete in a lot of tournaments, like the French Open and Wimbledon. But this is the price I am willing to pay,” the Serbian tennis player is convinced.

He is currently in a battle with Nadal and Federer to see who will end his career as the most successful tennis player of all time. Djokovic is obsessed with finishing as the best of all, but he is not going to inoculate himself for that.

When the moderator asked if he was willing to give up the opportunity to be the statistically best tennis player in history, Djokovic replied that he was. He added that his body is more important to him than any titles.

“I never said I was part of the anti-vax campaign. I was never asked about my opinion on the vaccine, I couldn’t express myself, it’s a misunderstanding. It’s unfortunate that this has been created on something I absolutely disagree with,” Djokovic added.

Djokovic will compete in Dubai at the end of February, where he may start on a negative PCR test. But he is likely to miss the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami and possibly the French Open.

Source: BBC