Novak Djokovic: ‘I Was Basically Declared as a Villain of the World’ for Refusing Covid Vaccine

WERTHEIM Your tennis is ░░░░░░░░ precise and crisp How ░░░░░░░░ you handle it when ░░░░░░░░ make these sort of ░░░░░░░░ and lapses when you ░░░░░░░░ a racket or when ░░░░░░░░ emotions get the better ░░░░░░░░ you DJOKOVIC Well look ░░░░░░░░ know I I have ░░░░░░░░ rackets in my life ░░░░░░░░ know No doubt about ░░░░░░░░ And I m not ░░░░░░░░ about that And I ░░░░░░░░ ashamed of myself when ░░░░░░░░ do that no doubt ░░░░░░░░ at the same time ░░░░░░░░ know I accept myself ░░░░░░░░ a flawed human being ░░░░░░░░ voice over Djokovic found ░░░░░░░░ of a larger scale ░░░░░░░░ early 2022 Unvaccinated he ░░░░░░░░ an exemption to play ░░░░░░░░ Australian Open at a ░░░░░░░░ when the country was ░░░░░░░░ out of a long ░░░░░░░░ lockdown But after public ░░░░░░░░ Djokovic was deported making ░░░░░░░░ a global news event ░░░░░░░░ on camera How much ░░░░░░░░ a toll did that ░░░░░░░░ controversy take on you ░░░░░░░░ It did I was ░░░░░░░░ declared as a villain ░░░░░░░░ the world you know ░░░░░░░░ WERTHEIM You sensed that ░░░░░░░░ of course And I ░░░░░░░░ basically yeah most of ░░░░░░░░ world against me I ░░░░░░░░ that kind of experience ░░░░░░░░ the tennis court with ░░░░░░░░ crowds that were not ░░░░░░░░ cheering me on But ░░░░░░░░ never had this particular ░░░░░░░░ before in my life ░░░░░░░░ Did you misread the ░░░░░░░░ public and what the ░░░░░░░░ would be DJOKOVIC In ░░░░░░░░ way did I misread ░░░░░░░░ WERTHEIM They don t ░░░░░░░░ exceptionalism This was a ░░░░░░░░ that felt very strongly ░░░░░░░░ vaccinations DJOKOVIC But the ░░░░░░░░ is that it was ░░░░░░░░ up to me to ░░░░░░░░ anybody I got the ░░░░░░░░ I got permission to ░░░░░░░░ into the country And ░░░░░░░░ of course it escalated ░░░░░░░░ the highest of the ░░░░░░░░ levels globally WERTHEIM Correct ░░░░░░░░ if I m wrong ░░░░░░░░ were not against vaccination ░░░░░░░░ just did not want ░░░░░░░░ for yourself DJOKOVIC Exactly ░░░░░░░░ tried to you know ░░░░░░░░ me as an anti ░░░░░░░░ I m not anti ░░░░░░░░ Nor I am pro ░░░░░░░░ I m I m ░░░░░░░░ m pro freedom to ░░░░░░░░