An Australian journalist is coming to the defense of tennis great Novak Djokovic, who’s been barred from competing in the U.S. Open for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID.
A rule from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bars the Serbian star from entering the U.S. without proof of vaccination.
“It is embarrassing and it defies logic and science,” journalist and sports host Ben Fordham slammed the U.S. rule, Sportskeeda reported.
“He is one of the fittest people on the planet,” the journalist said of Djokovic. “He doesn’t drink, he travels with his own personal doctor and nutritionist.”
Fordham noted that the athlete has already recovered from having COVID, meaning his body has produced antibodies.
“I had COVID twice, I had COVID in June 2020 and I had COVID recently in — I was tested positive — PCR — 16th of December 2021,” Djokovic said during an interview earlier this year.
Fordham is not the only one to call foul on the effective Djokovic ban; tennis legend John McEnroe, for example, called the rule “ridiculous.”
“These politicians are getting in the way too much,” McEnroe blasted via ESPN airwaves last month. “They did it in Australia. Let’s let the guy come in and play in the U.S.”
“I mean, come on,” he added.
Djokovic has made it clear that he has no plans to vaccinate against the virus, noting his good health and feelings about medical freedom.
“I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated,” he said last month, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Back in February, the three-time U.S. Open champion told the BBC that he’s willing to sacrifice championships for these beliefs.
“That is the price that I’m willing to pay,” Djokovic said about potentially missed tournaments over the vaccine requirement. “Because the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else. I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can.”
“I was never against vaccination,” the athlete said, “but I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.”
The tennis star in January was dramatically detained and deported from Australia over his vaccination status, rendering him unable to defend his Australian Open title.
“It has affected me definitely in the first several months of the year,” Djokovic said of the ordeal. “I was not feeling great generally. I mean, mentally, emotionally, I was not at a good place.”