Is Novak Djokovic vaccinated? Serb's views on vaccination, COVID-19 & more
Confirmation of Novak Djokovic's participation at the 2022 Australian Open was shortlived, as his visa to enter the country has been declined by Australia's border force.
The World No. 1 will be forced to leave the country as a result, all but ending his chances of winning a record 10th Australian Open title and 21st Grand Slam overall. The story is still under development and it remains to be seen whether Djokovic challenges the decision or not. At the time of writing, the Serb's lawyers are expected to file an injunction to prevent him being deported.
Here is everything you need to know about Novak Djokovic's stance on vaccination, his vaccination status and more.
Is Novak Djokovic vaccinated?
The Australian Open requires all competing athletes to be double vaccinated. However, the organizers granted medical exemptions to athletes with health concerns in exceptional circumstances. This is how Novak Djokovic gained an entry into the tournament in the first place.
Djokovic remained tight-lipped about his vaccination status for a long time, saying that he did not want to reveal his personal medical history.
"I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not," Djokovic said. "It is a private matter and that is an immoderate question."
The 35-year-old was adamant, neither confirming nor denying whether he was vaccinated. However, his public disclosure of applying for an exemption is proof that he did not take the COVID-19 vaccine.
If the Serb had been vaccinated, his participation at the Grand Slam Down Under would not have been an issue. It was because he was not vaccinated that he needed to apply for an exemption.
Novak Djokovic's views on vaccination
Novak Djokovic's views regarding vaccination came to light more than 18 months ago in April 2020, when he interacted with other Serbian athletes in a live session.
During the interaction, Djokovic revealed that he was not in favor of vaccines and that he was against being forced to take vaccines for international travel.
"I, for example, am not for vaccines personally, and I would not like someone to oblige me and force me to get vaccinated to travel," Djokovic said, originally in Serbian.
Christopher Clarey, a tennis correspondent with the New York Times, reached out to the 20-time Grand Slam champion for clarification. Djokovic's management team reverted with an explanation, reiterating that he was against the COVID-19 vaccine being mandatory for travel. They also added that he wanted to exercise his individual rights.
"Personally I am opposed to the vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be able to travel," Djokovic said. "I am no expert, but I do want to have an option to choose what’s best for my body."
Novak Djokovic also admitted that if vaccination became mandatory, he would decide his course of action in the future.
"But if it becomes compulsory, I'll have to make a decision whether to do it, or not," Djokovic said.
The World No. 1 remained steadfast in his view through the next year and a half. He repeated his statement during the 2021 US Open, saying he hoped people had the freedom to choose whether they could take the vaccination or not.
"I feel it should be a personal decision whether you want to get vaccinated or not. I hope it stays that way," Djokovic said.
Djokovic: I feel it should be a personal decision whether you want to get vaccinated or not. I hope it stays that way. #USOpen
Novak Djokovic's views on medicine and COVID-19
In 2017, Novak Djokovic sustained an elbow injury that saw his ATP ranking fall all the way down to 22 before he elected to have surgery in January 2018.
Speaking to the Telegraph later that year, the Serb revealed that he tried as hard as he could to not have medical surgery because he believed in alternative practices.
"I was trying to avoid getting on that table [for surgery] because I am not a fan of surgeries or medications," Djokovic said. "I am just trying to be as natural as possible, and I believe that our bodies are self-healing mechanisms."
Djokovic revealed that he felt guilty about undergoing surgery for months and even "cried for days" as a result.
"Luckily for me the surgery was done right, very well. But I was feeling guilty for maybe a month or two afterwards," Djokovic said.
In May 2020, Novak Djokovic drew the ire of people on social media for using his platform to encourage pseudoscience beliefs.
To be clear, Djokovic himself was the one who first introduced this stuff about water changing from emotions into the conversation on his Instagram, saying that mindfulness can make unhealthy food more nutritious, and that dinner table arguments can make good less nutritious. https://t.co/LyJbJTvb9W
In an episode of the webseries titled "The Self Mastery Project", the Serb stated that the world can be changed by people's energy. He added that human emotions can change the molecular composition of water.
"I know some people that, through that energetical transformation, through the power of prayer and gratitude, they manage to turn the most toxic food or the most polluted water into the most healing water," Djokovic said.
A couple of months later, Novak Djokovic received flak for organizing the Adria Tour in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition tournament was criticized by many, including Nick Kyrgios, for not following social distancing or safety protocols. It also drew scrutiny for allowing 100% occupancy in stadiums.
Djokovic, his wife Jelena, World No. 28 Grigor Dimitrov and former World No. 12 Borna Coric contracted the virus during the event. Djokovic apologized publicly for his actions later on.
He later reacted to the criticism, saying that they were malicious attempts at making him the scapegoat.
"I can only see criticism lately and much of it is malicious," Djokovic said. "It's obviously more than just criticism, it's like an agenda and a witch hunt are on. Someone has to take the fall, a big name."
But the damage had already been done by then.
While a significant portion of the public still side with Novak Djokovic for his beliefs, it pales in comparison to the number that condemn him for promoting non-scientific methods.
Djokovic's Vax stance is the reason my cousins refuse vaccination.
Djokovic plays an important role in shaping the minds of youngsters who look up to him. As the pandemic continues to rage on, people have grown increasingly frustrated that someone as popular as the Serb is peddling opinions not backed by science.