Novak Djokovic is the healthiest person in the world, he should not be forced to get vaccinated if he does not want to: Mother Dijana Djokovic
Novak Djokovic's mother, Dijana, believes that her son is well within his rights to remain unvaccinated and that he must not be forced to get jabbed against his will.
Djokovic has remained tight-lipped over his vaccination status throughout the pandemic, but legal documents submitted by the Serb to overturn his visa cancelation in Australia proved he is unvaccinated.
The World No. 1 has, in the past, clarified that he is not against vaccines and is not an 'anti-vaxxer.' However, he has repeatedly stressed that he does not trust COVID-19 vaccines, given how quickly the virus keeps mutating.
Speaking to popular Australian news show Sunrise, Dijana Djokovic pointed out that her son is old enough to make his own life decisions.
"I mean Novak is old - he is 34, 35," Dijana Djokovic said. "Even me as a mother I don't have any choice to pressure him. He has his own philosophy of his life. If he thinks like that I can just say 'okay'."
Dijana believes her son is "the healthiest guy in the world" and dedicates a lot of time and effort into staying fit.
"I know Novak is the healthiest guy in the world like a sportsman," she added. "He takes care of his life and his body so much that nobody can even imagine how. He is so dedicated to this sport and dedicated to what he is doing - he is playing tennis - and he wants to stay on the court. And I know he is doing everything to take care of his body, to stay healthy."
As such, Djokovic's mother fails to understand why the 20-time Major champion is constantly being questioned about his vaccination status. She feels that every individual has the right to make their own choices.
"So I don't know what is the problem if he doesn't want to vaccinate," Dijana added. "That's his choice and everyone in this world has the opportunity to make their choice, I mean this is human rights. You cannot pursue him or pressure him to do this. If he's healthy you can do everyday PCR or whatever you want and you will see he is healthy. So what's the problem?"
“I don’t know what the problem is if he doesn’t want to get vaccinated - that is his choice"
Novak Djokovic's mother opens up about the tennis star's controversial views on vaccination, saying no one can "pursue or pressure" him to get jabbed. https://t.co/U0NoOojXLT
Naturally, many of those who believe in the science of vaccines are not happy with the World No. 1's stance against COVID-19 jabs. Australians, especially, are extremely displeased that Novak Djokovic has been permitted to enter their country despite being unvaccinated.
When asked to comment on the anger the Australian public feels towards her son over his vaccination status, Dijana Djokovic was quick to assert that she is not against vaccinations. However, she pointed out that existing vaccines do not guarantee immunity against the virus, which is why she does not feel it should be mandatory.
"It's not that I am against the vaccination," Dijana explained. "Of course I'm not. But I think that also if you are vaccinated it's not that you are protected from the coronavirus. Lot's of people that have 2 vaccines or 3 vaccines they get ill. So, I don't understand this law that only if you're vaccinated you can play."
"If he's healthy, if his PCR is negative why he cannot play? Why they are afraid? If he coughs on the court if he's going to get ill like 10,000 people, it's not true, it's silly."
"I hope he's going to win and show that he's the healthiest man in the world and the best player in the world" - Novak Djokovic's mother
"He didn’t know because when he realised he was positive then he go to isolation"
Novak Djokovic's mum Dijana claims the tennis champion wasn't aware he was infected with COVID-19 when he was photographed out and about last month. https://t.co/qi3SpiOlqn
Rumors have been swirling that Novak Djokovic falsified information in one of his travel documents before entering Australia. One of the forms required the Serb to mention the countries he had been to in the 14 days before reaching Australia.
The World No. 1 visited Spain for a few days in that period but failed to mention it on the form. On Wednesday, Djokovic issued a statement on social media, stating that his agent had erred while filling the form.
During the interaction on Sunrise, Dijana Djokovic was asked if her son had been "up front" regarding all his official papers. In response, she claimed that she had not had a chance to interact with her son and was thus not aware of all the details.
However, Djokovic's mother pointed out how Federal Court Judge Kelly gave her son a clean chit during the court hearing.
"I cannot say because I'm not into it. I don't know exactly all issues. I'm reading in the newspapers, I didn't talk about Novak with that, so I cannot say anything about that. What I can say is that Judge Kelly had seven hours to listen to both sides and then he decided Novak is free. So for me this is closed book."
The 20-time Major champion was also accused of not following health protocols in Serbia after testing positive for COVID-19 on 16 December. He was seen attending a couple of public events, which has further irked people across the globe.
Dijana Djokovic was asked to comment on the matter, but she brushed aside the topic, saying it was best to ask her son about the issue. She ended by expressing her desire to see Novak Djokovic lift a record-extending 10th Australian Open title.
"He didn't know, probably he didn't know because when he realised that he is positive then he go to isolation because he didn't know," Dijana said. "I cannot really say anything about that. Maybe the best is to ask him."
"I hope that he is going to play and he's going to win and show the world that he's the healthiest man in the world and he is the best player in the world," she added. "Thank you so much."