5 players who stood up for and defended Novak Djokovic, ft. John McEnroe and Nick Kyrgios
Novak Djokovic is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players to have ever graced a tennis court. The Serb recently equaled Rafael Nadal's record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles by winning the 2023 Australian Open, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the final.
But while Djokovic has cemented his status as one of the greatest athletes of all time, he has also had his fair share of controversies. Whenever a Grand Slam or a Major tournament was around the corner last year, one of the talking points was the Serb's participation, as he was unvaccinated against COVID-19.
Djokovic's stance on vaccination saw him miss out on last year's Australian Open and US Open, among other tournaments. While there were players who criticized the 35-year-old for that, there were also others who supported him.
On that note, let's take a look five players who stood up for and defended Novak Djokovic.
5 players who have defended Novak Djokovic
#1. John McEnroe
Tennis legend John McEnroe spoke out in support of Novak Djokovic during his visa controversy in Australia last year, as well as when he was not allowed to compete at the US Open.
McEnroe, a former World No. 1, described Djokovic's visa controversy as "total BS". He also said the Serb had the right to decide whether he wanted to be vaccinated or not.
"It's total BS. If he decides not to have a vaccine and the Australian authorities say 'you cannot go down there unless you're vaccinated' - end of story, it's black or white. He decides whether or not he wants to do it. He's got very strong beliefs; he's entitled to those beliefs," McEnroe said.
"It was gutsy [to travel there] in a way. I've got to hand it to him. I've got seven Majors; he's got 20. The reason he's got a lot more than me is because he's willing to risk that, to go down there," he added.
McEnroe also criticized the US Open for not allowing Djokovic to compete in the tournament last year. The 63-year-old said that while he himself would've got vaccinated, the Serb's beliefs should be respected.
"I think it's a joke. I would have had the vaccine and gone and played but he's got very strong beliefs and you have to respect that. At this point, in the pandemic, we're two and a half years in, I think people in all parts of the world know more about it, and the idea that he can’t travel here to play, to me is a joke," McEnroe said.
#2. Nick Kyrgios
There was a time when Nick Kyrgios took digs at Novak Djokovic every opportunity he got. However, the two seem to have developed a bit of a bromance ever since Kyrgios stood up for Djokovic during his visa controversy at last year's Australian Open.
The Wimbledon runner-up claimed back then that he felt embarrassed as an Australian athlete for the way Djokovic was treated. He also criticized the media for the way they handled the whole situation.
"We know that the media like to create s***-storms, with my story and everything going on with Novak. I feel quite embarrassed as an Australian athlete who’s seen what this guy has done for us and for the sport. I just don’t think it’s right how we’re handling it, but the media loves to do that, loves to divide," Kyrgios said.
#3. Jimmy Connors
Former World No. 1 Jimmy Connors also defended Novak Djokovic during the visa controversy that saw him being deported from Australia.
Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam singles champion, stated that the Serb's choice should be respected and that he should be allowed to play the Australian Open.
"OK— we all have a choice — #Covid - #boosters - he had Covid- don’t f**k up the Austrian Open without the “best player” If he test “ negative” — should let him play!! He won it 9 f*****g times- come on @AustralianOpen. He has been loyal to your event.loyal2him #fight4him," Connors tweeted.
OK— we all have a choice — #Covid - #boosters - he had Covid- don’t fuck up the Austrian Open without the “best player” If he test “ negative” — should let him play!! He won it 9 fucking times- come on @AustralianOpen he has been loyal to your event.loyal2him #fight4him
#4. Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka strongly supported Novak Djokovic and called for his participation in last year's Australian Open and the US Open.
The American spoke out in Djokovic's defense while replying to a Twitter user who urged him to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
"What else wasn’t that hard for Novak was staying on the practice court for an extra hour back in 2008 at Cincinnati masters to sign EVERY single kids ball. Me being one of them. He has done plenty of great things for the sport too ya know," Opelka tweeted.
The 25-year-old strongly defended Djokovic and urged for his inclusion in the 2022 US Open.
“But there are some players (Sandgren) that can walk on the street with a beer in the same country that others (Novak) can’t,” Opelka wrote.
#5. Vasek Pospisil
Vasek Pospisil, who co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association with Novak Djokovic, defended the Serb after he was deported from Australia.
"Novak would never have gone to Australia if he had not been given an exemption to enter the country by the government (which he did receive; hence Judge Kelly’s initial ruling). He would have skipped the Australian Open and been home with his family and no one would be talking about this mess," the Canadian tweeted.
"There was a political agenda at play here with the elections coming up which couldn’t be more obvious. This is not his fault. He did not force his way into the country and did not “make his own rules”; he was ready to stay home," he added.