‘PRIVATE MATTER’

Novak Djokovic Says He Could Ditch Australian Open Over Vaccine Mandate

Djokovic has made his thoughts clear on the vaccine during the pandemic.

One of the world’s most famous anti-vaxxers—tennis champ Novak Djokovic—sounds ready to sacrifice his Australian Open title defense for the sake of not taking a safe and effective shot against the coronavirus. The Grand Slam event is due to start in January in Melbourne, Victoria, and the state’s premier, Daniel Andrews, has said that it’s unlikely that any unvaccinated athlete will get a visa to enter the country for the tournament. But Djokovic said Monday that he not reveal his vaccine status, although he heavily implied that he has not been inoculated. He told the Serbian newspaper Blic: “Things being as they are, I still don’t know if I will go to Melbourne... I will not reveal my status, whether I have been vaccinated or not. It is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.” Djokovic has made his thoughts clear on the vaccine during the pandemic, saying in April 2020: “I’m opposed to vaccination, and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.”