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LONDON. — Novak Djokovic has said he would be against a compulsory coronavirus vaccination if it became a requirement for tennis players to travel to tournaments.
“Personally I’m against vaccination. I wouldn’t like that someone forces me to get a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” the world No. 1 said late on Sunday.
The Serbian star was speaking from Spain, where he is in lockdown with his family, in a video conference held on his Facebook for Orthodox Easter.
“We (players) will have to travel. I think it will be the number one challenge,” the 32-year said.
“If it (vaccination) will become compulsory what will happen? I will have to take a decision,” on whether to get a vaccine or not, he said. “This is my opinion at the moment. Whether it will change I don’t know.”
There is currently no vaccine for the virus that has claimed some 165 000 lives around the globe, though labs around the world are racing to develop a treatment.
Like the rest of the sporting world, tennis has been on pause since early March, with the ATP and WTA Tours suspended until mid-July at the earliest and Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II.
Djokovic estimated tournaments would not restart “before September or October”.
“The season will officially restart when everyone will be 100 percent certain that people can return, that there is no risk, that people are resistant to the virus and this takes time.” Tournaments with travel limited to one country or a region could be possible, he said.
Meanwhile, Australia’s John Millman has questioned a multi-million dollar plan floated by Djokovic to help struggling tennis players during the coronavirus shutdown, asking why it hadn’t been done before.
Djokovic said on Saturday that the “Big Three” — himself, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — were organising aid for lower-ranked players who have no income while the sport is suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The majority of the players who are ranked between 200, 250 in the world, and the 700th or 1 000th do not have federation support, do not have sponsors. They are completely independent and left alone,” Djokovic said in an Instagram chat with friend and rival Stan Wawrinka. — AFP.
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