Novak Djokovic has stated that he would rather miss future tennis tournaments than be forced to take the Covid vaccination.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC, he claimed missing events, including as the French Open, over his jab status was “the price that I’m willing to pay”.
Last month, the 20-time Grand Slam winner was deported from Australia after his visa was revoked due to a dispute regarding his vaccination status.
“Very hard” conditions were described by Djokovic while he was detained.
He stated he had not spoken out in the media at the time – despite wanting to – as he wanted to respect the court process and the Australian Open.
The world’s number one men’s tennis player also stated that he should not be affiliated with the anti-vax campaign, but that he supports the freedom of individuals to make their own decisions.
He stated he had just recovered from Covid-19 and had got a medical exemption to enter the nation to compete in the Australian Open.
However, the country’s immigration minister, Alex Hawke, personally cancelled the 34-year-old’s visa, on the grounds that his presence could incite “civil unrest” and encourage anti-vaccine sentiment.
“I was never against vaccination,” he told the BBC, confirming he’d had vaccines as a child, “but I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.”
In a wide-ranging interview, his first since he was detained in Melbourne in January, Djokovic addressed speculation about the timing of his positive Covid case in December and discussed his own attitude towards the vaccine.