World No.1 Novak Djokovic has caused a stir by saying he is opposed to the idea of being forced to take an anti-COVID-19 in order to return to professional tennis.
The 17-time grand slam champion has admitted that he is unsure what he would do if he were to be in that situation. All professional tennis tournaments have been suspended until at least July due to the worldwide pandemic. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center there have been 2,356,475 cases of the virus which has resulted in 162,070 deaths.
“Personally, I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Reuters quoted Djokovic as saying in a live Facebook chat.
“But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know.
“Hypothetically, if the season was to resume in July, August or September, though unlikely, I understand that a vaccine will become a requirement straight after we are out of strict quarantine and there is no vaccine yet.”
Former women’s player Amelie Maureasmo has previously said that the Tour should not resume again until there is a vaccine in place. Unlike domestic sports, resuming tennis is a complex matter due to players from all over the globe congregating in one tournament. The WTA Rogers Cup has already been suspended for a year and there are concerns over the likelihood of the US Open taking place.
Djokovic’s stance on the issue could be significant for the ATP Tour. Not only is he their top ranked player, he is the head of the influential Player Council. Meaning that any motion by the governing body to implement something such as a vaccination system could meet opposition. Although this is hypothetical at the moment with a potential vaccine still in the production process.
Whilst the comments may generate unwanted criticism for the Serbian tennis star, he also explained during the live chat that other research into the disease needs to be conducted before a solution is found. Arguing that some medical experts have been ‘censored.’
“There is some censorship of medical professionals who speak of solutions that do not fit with those of official medicine,” he claims. “I wish there was more debate, a difference of opinion. We’re not from that profession, so we can’t talk about it. I would like to talk more about immunity.”
Elaborating further, the 32-year-old questions if there are alternative anti-COVID measures that can be taken instead of a vaccine.
“When someone coughs, things will go through our heads. How many things will change I do not know, but the main obstacle for man will be the journey. There is talk of compulsory vaccination in 18 months … Are there other solutions or is it the only one? There are a million things to do, so I think this and how it will affect all sports,” he later added.
Djokovic’s views comes less than a week after he donated $1 million to the Italian city of Bergamo. One of the worst-hit areas of the country by COVID-19. He and his wife have also made donations to support the healthcare system back in his own country.
The ATP Tour is currently scheduled to resume on July 13th.
