MAKE IT STOP

Pissed Off Aussie Open Stars Tell Djokovic: It’s Not That Hard to Just Get Vaxxed

The players’ answers during a Saturday press conference ranged from diplomatic to despondent.

The unvaccinated Novak Djokovic’s neverending saga to play in the vaccination-mandated Australian Open is pissing off his fellow contestants. “The Australian Open is much more important than any player,” tennis legend and Djokovic rival Rafael Nadal said at a press conference Saturday, two days before the tournament begins. “If he’s playing, finally, OK. If he’s not playing, the Australian Open will be a great Australian Open, with or without him. That’s my point of view.” Other players were less diplomatic. “All this could have been avoided, like we’ve all done, by getting vaccinated, doing all the things we had to do to come here in Australia,” said Garbiñe Muguruza, the No. 3 women’s player. “I don’t think it’s that difficult.” The universal question among athletes: What about the sport we came to play? “Not enough tennis has been talked about in the last couple of weeks, which is a shame,” said Stefanos Tsitsipas, a runner-up to Djokovic at the French Open.