After vaccination interview
Ryanair mocks Djokovic
02/16/2022, 11:19 am
Novak Djokovic is not vaccinated against the corona virus – and has not yet planned to. The 20-time champion says he would even prefer to do without further Grand Slam titles. Ryanair takes the opportunity to poke fun at him.
Novak Djokovic and Ryanair will probably no longer be friends. The airline once again poked fun at the tennis pro, who tops the world rankings. The reason: The Serb had said in an interview with the BBC that he was not opposed to vaccination. But when asked if he would sacrifice participation in Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open or Wimbledon because of his stance on vaccination, he said: “Yes, that’s the price I’m willing to pay.”
Responding to a BBC tweet with the headline: “Novak Djokovic: I’m not against vaccinations – but I’m willing to forego trophies if I’m required to be vaccinated,” Ryanair responded with: “We’re not an airline, but we are fly in airplanes.” The tweet has more than 138,000 likes so far.
“I was never against vaccinations,” said Djokovic, explaining that he was vaccinated as a child. But he wants the freedom to choose what goes into his body. He could imagine getting vaccinated in the future, “because we all have to try together to find the best possible solution to end Covid.” However, he is more likely to be banking on the pandemic ending soon. He hopes that the Covid regulations will change in future tournaments and that he can then “play for many more years,” said Djokovic.
Djokovic, who was not vaccinated against Covid-19, had to leave Australia the evening before the start of the Australian Open in mid-January. The record winner of the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne had failed with an appeal against the cancellation of his visa before the federal court. Strict corona rules apply in Australia, in principle only people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus are allowed to enter the country.
Ryanair made fun of Djokovic back then too. “Unlucky @DjokerNole flight home?” the airline tweeted. Attached to the tweet is a photo montage showing the line of a tennis court. One side is labeled “Australia” – and the ball just lands in the “Not Australia” field.