Novak Djokovic disappointed by media and colleagues over misrepresentation of his vaccination stance

Novak Djokovic has opened up about his stance on vaccines and expressed his disappointment regarding the misrepresentation of his position in the media.

In January 2022, Djokovic received a medical exemption to participate in the Australian Open following his decision to forgo the COVID-19 vaccine. However, upon his arrival in Australia, the 22-time Grand Slam champion's exemption was challenged and he was detained by the authorities and later deported from the country.

The Serb's unvaccinated status garnered significant media attention at the time, with his stance on vaccines dominating headlines across the world.

On Monday, May 15, following his win over Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Italian Open, Djokovic opened up about the criticism leveled at him for his stance on vaccines.

The 35-year-old emphasized that he has consistently remained true to his beliefs despite the false information circulated about him in the media. Djokovic clarified that he firmly supports the freedom of choice when it comes to making decisions about vaccinations.

"I suffered everything on my skin. Many people have appreciated that I have remained consistent. 95 percent of what has been written and said on TV about me in the last three years is totally false. I'm not no vax and I've never said I was in my life. I'm not even pro vax. I am pro choice. I defend freedom of choice," he said in an interview with Italian publication Corriere della Sera.

Djokovic also disclosed the misrepresentation of his stance on vaccines by the BBC, who eliminated sentences from his interview that were not convenient to their story. He felt let down by how the media handled the situation and also expressed disappointment with some of his colleagues' responses.

"I explained it one to the BBC, but they eliminated many sentences, the ones that weren't convenient. So I never spoke of this story again. I was disappointed by the media and by many colleagues," he added.

Novak Djokovic set to take on Cameron Norrie in Italian Open 4R clash

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Italian Open

Novak Djokovic will continue his title defense at the Italian Open by taking on Cameron Norrie in the fourth round. The Brit defeated Alexandre Muller in straight sets to begin his campaign in Rome. Norrie then came through with a 6-2, 7-6(4) win over Marton Fucsovics to book his spot against Djokovic.

The Serb leads 2-0 in his head-to-head record against Norrie, with his most recent win against the World No. 13 coming in the 2022 Wimbledon semifinals. Their clash in Rome will mark their first clay-court encounter on the ATP tour.