Esoteric tennis star – that’s why Novak Djokovic is defending himself against the corona vaccination

Novak Djokovic’s entry farce does not seem to be coming to an end yet. The tennis world number one has filed a lawsuit against their entry ban, and a court is due to rule on Monday. That is how long the Serb is allowed to stay in Australia for the time being. But how did it get to the point where the Djokovic case escalated to such an extent? And why is the superstar so reluctant to have a corona vaccination?

In April 2020, the 34-year-old spoke publicly about the vaccination issue for the first time. In a livestream, the Djoker explained: «Personally, I am against vaccinations. I don’t want someone forcing me to take a vaccine in order to travel.» The Serb never gave precise reasons for his position. However, it is known that the Djokovic is considered a fan of esotericism. In May 2020, shortly after his vaccination testimony, he showed up in an Instagram-Video mit Chervin Jafarieh, a self-proclaimed alchemist. In it, the Iranian said that you can change the molecular structure of water just by thinking.

Last year Djokovic finally kept a secret about his vaccination status for a long time. “I don’t want to get into this game that the media are creating these days, whether you’re for or against vaccination,” the Serb explained in April last year. He said that he wanted to prevent him from getting a stamp.

Djokovic is far from alone with his vaccination skepticism, especially in Serbia the motivation for vaccination does not seem particularly high at the moment. A mere 46.5 percent of the Serbian population is considered fully vaccinated, which puts the country just below the global average. In other Balkan countries, the vaccination rate is sometimes even lower. The prevailing distrust in the government and the pharmaceutical industry may be responsible for this.

In the meantime, Rafael Nadal, a first rival for Djokovic’s immigration poker, has expressed himself. “In my opinion, what happens is not good for anyone,” said the Spaniard after his round of 16 victory at the ATP 250 tournament in Melbourne. It is normal that people in Australia are now frustrated. They would have had to go through many tough curfews. “I believe in what people say who know about medicine, and when people say we need to be vaccinated, we have to get vaccinated,” said Nadal.