{"id":1065346,"date":"2021-11-29T15:59:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T20:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1065346"},"modified":"2021-11-29T16:00:09","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T21:00:09","slug":"father-novak-djokovic-probably-wont-play-australian-open-over-vaccine-blackmail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/father-novak-djokovic-probably-wont-play-australian-open-over-vaccine-blackmail\/","title":{"rendered":"Father: Novak Djokovic &#039;Probably Won&#039;t&#039; Play Australian Open over Vaccine &#039;Blackmail&#039;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffather-novak-djokovic-probably-wont-play-australian-open-over-vaccine-blackmail%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1065346&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/GettyImages-1125349649-640x335-1.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">Srdjan Djokovic, father of world tennis number one Novak Djokovic, said on television Sunday that his son \u201cprobably won\u2019t\u201d play in the Australian Open in January due to the implementation of a coronavirus vaccine mandate, which he called \u201cblackmail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic is the top-ranked player on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour and has held that ranking for more time than anyone else in history. He has also won more Australian Open tournaments than anyone else, taking home the trophy nine times. He has won 20 Grand Slam tournament titles \u2013 more than anyone else except for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who both also have 20 titles.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>Djokovic\u2019s absence at the Australian Open would have some sentimental significance as it was the first Grand Slam that he won in 2008 and he has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TDy0sZpP4RM\">called<\/a> it his \u201cfavorite tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Srdjan Djokovic made the remarks during an interview on a morning program on TV Prva in the family\u2019s native Serbia.<\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"JUTRO - Da li \u0107e najbolji teniser planete igrati na Australijan openu | PRVA\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d8XMY4wmeTM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAs far as vaccines and non-vaccines [sic] are concerned, it is the personal right of each of us whether we will be vaccinated or not. No one has the right to enter into our intimacy, it is guaranteed by the constitution,\u201d the elder Djokovic said, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.b92.net\/eng\/news\/headlines.php?yyyy=2021&amp;mm=11&amp;dd=28&amp;nav_category=159&amp;nav_id=112383\">translation<\/a> by the Serbian state-affiliated news site B92. \u201cEveryone has the right to decide on their health. Whether he is vaccinated or not, that is his exclusive right. Will he publish it, I don\u2019t think so. I don\u2019t know that decision either, and if I did, I wouldn\u2019t share it with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Srdjan Djokovic said his son would want to go to the tournament \u201cwith all his heart \u2026 and we would love that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder these blackmails and conditions, he probably won\u2019t,\u201d he concluded. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t do that. And he\u2019s my son, so you decide for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic\u2019s presence at the tournament became widely considered uncertain since organizers asserted they would demand all players show proof of vaccination before entering. Djokovic has refused to answer anyone asking if he has received a Chinese coronavirus vaccine. He tested positive for Chinese coronavirus last year while participating in an unofficial tennis tournament, the Adria Tour, that he personally organized amid global coronavirus lockdowns.<\/p>\n<p>A study <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/fullarticle\/2782139\">published<\/a> in the science magazine <em>Nature<\/em> in July 2021 found that individuals who have been infected with the virus possess some level of resistance to it in the future, though to what extent those recovered are immune to a second infection, particularly in light of the discovery of significantly mutated coronavirus variants, has remained a point of contention in the scientific community.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Asked about the Australian Open last week, Novak Djokovic only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/novak-djokovic-australian-open-covid-vax-mandate\">responded<\/a>, \u201cwe\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe freedom of choice is essential for everyone, whether it\u2019s me or somebody else,\u201d he said on a separate occasion last week. \u201cDoesn\u2019t really matter whether it\u2019s vaccination or anything else in life. You should have the freedom to choose \u2013 in this particular case, what you want to put in your body.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>While Djokovic has not specified if he has received doses of any approved coronavirus vaccine product, he openly stated he did not want a vaccine against coronavirus in 2020, prior to their availability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPersonally, I am opposed to vaccination,\u201d Djokovic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/tennis\/story\/_\/id\/29069582\/novak-djokovic-says-keeping-open-mind-covid-19-vaccination\">said<\/a> on Facebook in April 2020. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter, and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don\u2019t know,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Pressed on the issue following that statement, Djokovic asserted, \u201cI have expressed my views because I have the right to and I also feel responsible to highlight certain essential topics that are concerning the tennis world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Following those remarks, and in an apparently show of defiance against the ATP Tour for canceling several high-profile tournaments, Djokovic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/tennis\/story\/_\/id\/29427688\/djokovic-claims-was-subject-witch-hunt-adria-tour-fiasco\">founded<\/a> what he called the Adria Tour, a small Eastern European tournament with little-to-no coronavirus precautionary measures. The Adria Tour ended preemptively when several of the major players participating, including Djokovic, tested positive for coronavirus, resulting in widespread condemnation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can only see criticism lately and much of it is malicious,\u201d Djokovic told Serbian media at the time. \u201cIt\u2019s obviously more than just criticism, it\u2019s like an agenda and a witch hunt are on. Someone has to take the fall, a big name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic has won the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon since the ill-fated Adria Tour.<\/p>\n<p>Craig Tilley, the CEO of Tennis Australia, almost immediately began fielding questions about Djokovic upon announcing a vaccine mandate for the Australian Open. He addressed the situation on Australian television on Monday in response to the younger Djokovic\u2019s \u201cwe\u2019ll see\u201d comments \u2013 not the elder\u2019s about \u201cblackmail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis has been a bone of contention all the way through but when the premier announced that anyone coming into Victoria and playing at Melbourne Park will need to be vaccinated, that included the fans as well as the staff and also for the players,\u201d Tilley <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/tennis\/australian-open\/tennis-news-2021-australian-open-novak-djokovic-vaccine-status-antivaxxer-will-he-play-in-2022-craig-tiley-tournament-boss-victoria-quarantine\/news-story\/91b18fd9054709f36a34b015a2e499fc\">said<\/a>, predicting \u201cclose to 90 percent\u201d compliance from players.<\/p>\n<p>Tilley claimed that \u201ceveryone understands it\u201d and the vaccine mandate has \u201cbeen well received.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[W]e\u2019ve contributed to more players getting vaccinated because we\u2019re the first event that\u2019s required mandatory vaccinations,\u201d Tilley asserted.<\/p>\n<p>Tilley also specifically stated Djokovic would have to show proof of vaccination to attend and would not receive an exception based on his prior coronavirus-positive status or his ranking as top men\u2019s player in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic\u2019s absence will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/2021\/nov\/29\/novak-djokovic-likely-to-skip-australian-open-over-vaccine-mandate-says-father\">leave<\/a> only Nadal of the three most awarded players in history in the Australian Open, as Federer is recovering from knee surgery. Their absence leaves open the opportunity for a younger generation of players to make it to the final after nearly two decades of dominance by the three.<\/p>\n<p>Australia has enacted some of the most severe Chinese coronavirus restrictions in the world, including provisions such as the use of soldiers to trap people indoors, which have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/health-coronavirus-australia-towers\/australian-state-violated-human-rights-in-covid-lockdown-report-idUSKBN28R0EC\">attracted<\/a> the concern of global human rights activists. Australia deployed hundreds of soldiers last summer to enforce a ban on people leaving their homes. Australian officials have used disproportionate violence on occasion to quell the protests, including one incident in which police&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/europe\/2021\/10\/13\/cops-who-pepper-sprayed-elderly-lockdown-protester-being-investigated\/\">pepper-sprayed<\/a>&nbsp;an elderly woman in the face.<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Frances Martel on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1638269896770000&amp;usg=AOvVaw21xNmXbucj6P8K4tdlDXhl\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1638269896770000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2hBIqv1U4OEfFgCiwx-74B\">Twitter.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Srdjan Djokovic, father of world tennis number one Novak Djokovic, said on television Sunday that his son \u201cprobably won\u2019t\u201d play in the Australian Open in January due to the implementation &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1065346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1065346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1065346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1065346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1065346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1065346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1065346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}