Should Novak Djokovic be judged simply for following Andrew Tate?
Novak Djokovic continued on his quest for a maiden Olympic gold medal as he brushed aside his rival Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Paris Olympics. The Serbian star looked back to his immaculate best against the Spaniard to register a 31st win against his long-term rival. However, despite a memorable day out in Paris, Djokovic also made headlines for his social media activities.
A post on X [formerly Twitter] went viral, showing that Djokovic follows the controversial social media personality Andrew Tate on the social media platform. Tate, known for his commentary on women among other topics, has often been in trouble because of his strong opinions. Tate has almost 10 Million followers on Twitter, including the Serbian star Djokovic.
Andrew Tate has often been the face of controversy
Andrew Tate is a self-proclaimed "misogynist" influencer who has gained popularity for his strong opinions. The British-American influencer has been living in England for a few years and has gained a rise in fame due to his rich lifestyle on social media.
Tate often shares posts about his extravagant lifestyle, and can be seen living on yachts and flying on private planes. He was involved in a controversy in 2022 when he got into a social media spat with Greta Thumberg and has since been detained by the police.
A video of Tate attacking a woman then surfaced on the internet, but Tate claimed that the video was fake and he was not guilty. During an interview, Tate said that he is a "realist" and a "sexist". He further added that women are "lazy" and there is no such thing as "an independent woman".
"I'm a realist and when you're a realist, you're sexist. There's no way you can be rooted in reality and not be sexist," Tate said in an interview.
Tate is fighting several cases in the courts. The British influencer was briefly kept under house arrest in a human trafficking and rape case, accusations he has denied. In 2024, four women claimed that they were physically abused by Tate but that claim is yet to be proven in court.
Novak Djokovic following such a controversial person on social media has raised some eyebrows. The Serbian is often the center of controversies himself, even as he continues to go toe-to-toe with the best players in the world.
Does following Andrew Tate make Novak Djokovic a bad person?
Judging Novak Djokovic based on the people he follows on Twitter can be a bit too harsh on the Serbian. There is a difference between following a person and endorsing their views. Had Djokovic reposted or commented on Tate's activities on X, it would have been a different matter altogether. However, just following someone on social media should not be a reason to judge a person.
Djokovic and Tate do have one thing in common, which is their stance against the COVID-19 vaccine. Both Djokovic and Tate shared their opinion against the COVID-19 vaccine and decided against getting vaccinated. However, Tate later changed his stance and admitted that he believed that vaccines could be safe.
This could be one of the reasons that Djokovic follows Tate but it is still not enough to pass judgment on the Serbian. People can follow a lot of celebrities or politicians whom they do not endorse or agree with.
At the same time, it would be good if Djokovic clarified his stance on the matter, given he is one the most followed tennis stars in the world with over 9 million followers on Twitter.