One of the all-time tennis greats, Novak Djokovic, could face some problems with his return to the sport
One of the all-time tennis greats, Novak Djokovic, could face some problems with his return to the sport. Just like everyone else, right now, the Serbian champion is quarantined because of COVID-19, spending time with his family and waiting for the pandemic to end.
But why is his return to the tennis courts not entirely clear?
During a Facebook Live session, the Serbian player shockingly admitted being an anti-vaxxer – a person who is opposed to vaccinations.
According to the plans of the tennis federation, all players must be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to return to action when there’s a vaccine, of course. But being an anti-vaxxer, Djokovic could be opposed to taking the vaccine. Therefore he could not be allowed to return to the sport.
During his Facebook Live session, Djokovic said that “he doesn’t want to be forced by anyone of taking a vaccine.” He admitted that he would be facing a tough decision if he’s standing against a situation like this.
At the same time, the former No.1 in the world Amelie Mauresmo shared a widespread opinion that action in tennis couldn’t continue without a vaccine. The former star believes that the rest of the 2020 season should simply not be played.
The COVID-19 pandemic blocked tennis like never before in the last 80 years. The Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II, while the French Open was rescheduled for September. But let’s be honest here – nobody really knows if we are going to see Roland Garros this year. According to some experts, the coronavirus vaccine is at least a year away, so the near future of professional sports is far from clear.
For Novak Djokovic, the COVID-19 pandemic came in a moment when he was in a flying form. The Serbian star won the Australian Open in style, getting prepared to chase his second title in Paris. Djokovic was also enjoying an 18-games winning streak before the pandemic. He was undoubtedly the biggest favorite to win the French Open after Rafael Nadal, of course.
At this moment all tennis action is stopped until 13 July. Sadly there’s no clear look when we would have the chance to enjoy our favorite sports again. The world is still struggling with containing the COVID-19 pandemic, so the athletes’ and fans’ health is the clear priority. We’d be lucky if we have the chance to see at least a few major tennis events until the end of 2020.