LONDON: If forced to choose, Novak Djokovic said he would skip the French Open and Wimbledon, foregoing the chance to overtake Rafael Nadal’s record haul of 21 Grand Slams titles, rather than get vaccinated against Covid-19.

And the top-ranked tennis player is also still smarting about being deported last month from Australia in a drama about his vaccination status that polarised opinion worldwide.

Speaking in an interview broadcast on Tuesday by the BBC, the 20-time Grand Slam champion said he is still not vaccinated, and prepared to sacrifice titles to stay that way.

“If need be, not defending his titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and missing other tournaments is the price that I am willing to pay,” said the 34-year-old Serb, comments likely to further boost his hero-status among some opponents of vaccination.

Djokovic said he is not opposed to vaccinations and sought to distance himself from anti-vaccination campaigners, saying: “I have never said that I am part of that movement.”

But he said “everyone has the right to choose, to act, or say whatever they feel is appropriate for them” and that he “believes in the freedom to choose what you put into your body. And, for me, that is essential.”

“I am trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can,” he said, adding that he has always been careful about everything he ingests. “Based on all the information that I got, I decided not to take the vaccine, as of today. I understand the consequences of my decision. I understand that not being vaccinated today, you know, I am unable to travel to most of the tournaments at the moment.”

Asked if he would be prepared to miss the French Open in May, he repeated: “That is the price that I am willing to pay.”

Also asked if would be ready to skip Wimbledon, he added: “Yes. Because the principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else.”

Encouragingly for Djokovic’s hopes of trying to defend his French Open and Wimbledon titles, travel rules in France and Britain have been eased.

Unvaccinated travellers no longer need to isolate on arrival in France if they have travelled from another EU country and Djokovic is now a resident of Spain.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran said this month that unless there is another wave, the vaccination passport — which is required for entry to sports venues among other public spaces — will no longer be obligatory “well before July.”

In Britain, unvaccinated arrivals only need to take a Covid-19 test before and after arrival and complete a whereabouts form, but do not need to quarantine.

Asked whether Djokovic could be barred from playing at Wimbledon, former British number and All England Club committee member Tim Henman told the BBC: “I don’t think so. Those are the guidelines the Championship will be following at this stage.”

His prospects of playing in the United States, including the US Open, look bleak at the moment, however, as vaccination certificates remain compulsory.

There are also two high-profile tournaments coming up in the US — Indian Wells from March 7 to 20 and the Miami Open, played from March 21 to April 3.

Djokovic fuelled widespread anger in Australia when he was given a medical exemption from mandatory Covid-19 vaccination to compete at Melbourne Park on grounds that he had recently contracted the virus.

But he was detained by immigration authorities on arrival, released by a court order and then detained again before eventually being deported.

The case stoked global debate and Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Djokovic could be a threat to public order in the country because his presence would encourage anti-vaccination sentiment.

“I was really sad and disappointed with the way it all ended for me in Australia,” Djokovic said, adding that he was deported despite following all rules. “It wasn’t easy. The reason why I was deported from Australia was because the Minister for Immigration used his discretion to cancel my visa based on his perception that I might create some anti-vax sentiment in the country or in the city, which I completely disagree with.”

Djokovic is set to return to action in Dubai next week for the first time since his deportation from Australia.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2022