Novak Djokovic famously declined to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and as a result, he was barred from entering the United States for nearly two years, even causing him to miss the 2022 US Open as he wasn’t permitted access to the country. But made the most of his return to the United States this year, winning the US Open. And he had a clear message about his stance on vaccine mandates.
Following his Grand Slam title at the US Open this year, Novak Djokovic participated in an interview with tennis legend John McEnroe where he claimed that he “was never anti-vax” and that he was simply “pro-freedom to choose.”
“I was never anti-vax. I was always pro-freedom to choose and that’s something we took really for granted,” Djokovic told McEnroe on ESPN Plus according to Fox News. “I didn’t feel like a lot of people had a choice. I was encountering that on a daily basis with so many people in my country or around the world.”
With his US Open championship this weekend, Djokovic earned the 24th Grand Slam title of his storied career – the most of any player in tennis history. It was the fourth US Open title of his career.