Novak Djokovic Wins US Open And Breaks Grand Slam Record After Being Banned In 2022 For Refusing The Covid Vaccine

For as long as his fans can remember, Novak Djokovic has been an athlete who did things differently. When his career started to explode in the late 2000s, people expected that he would have a wonderful future, but few expected that he would compete at the level of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for so many years. Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title in 2008 at the Australian Open, and in 2011, he won three out of the four calendar Grand Slams, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. He proved to everyone that we were entering a new era of the Big Three: legendary players Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, who battled it out on the court for years to come.

As Djokovic's career only continued to improve, it was revealed that some of his training choices were out of the ordinary. While most tennis players kept their work in the confines of the tennis court and the weight room, Djokovic was doing a hefty amount of flexibility training, which included yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and core exercises. He became famous for his full split, which came in handy on the court. Djokovic would spend a few hours of work on his pliability before even grabbing a tennis racket. His diet also became one of the more unique things the sport of tennis has ever seen. Ever since 2010, he completely abstains from gluten, and many attribute his sudden success in 2011 and onwards to his strict diet of fish, white meat, fruit, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, veggies, beans, and healthy oils. He eats organic as much as possible, and his first meal of the day always includes two tablespoons of honey, along with fruit, protein, and healthy fats.

He became friends with Wim Hof, a Dutch athlete known for running a marathon in the ice and snow, barefoot and wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. Wim Hof has been teaching breathwork and meditation for years, coupled with ice baths. Djokovic's friendship with him was a huge inspiration for him to become more in tune with his body and create a type of mental resilience that most athletes can only dream of. Djokovic was heavily criticized in the early 2010s for being too strict with his diet and teased for his unconventional training methods. But he kept on course and steadily grabbed title after title, becoming one of the most successful tennis players to ever enter the sport, even if many disliked him and called him a little crazy.

Novak Djokovic Was Deported from Australia for Refusing To Take the Covid Vaccine

Throughout his early career, Djokovic was also criticized for his hot temper and intensity, which he eventually learned to tame for the most part. But this reputation never fully left him. The coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020 turned out to be yet another reason for Djokovic to be one of the most hated tennis players in the world and perhaps one of the most hated athletes in general.

In early 2022, days before the Australian Open, Djokovic was deported from Australia following a failed final court attempt to remain in the country. The court dismissed Djokovic's appeal after the Australian government revoked his visa, citing "health and good order" concerns due to his unvaccinated status. In response, Djokovic expressed deep disappointment but accepted the decision, subsequently departing for Dubai.

Djokovic made it clear that he had no plans to get the Covid vaccine.

Djokovic made it clear that he had no plans to get the Covid vaccine, regardless of the requirements in countries around the world where he was planning to compete.

"I was never against vaccination," he told the BBC in an exclusive interview. He had vaccines as a child, but he was simply refusing to take the Covid vaccine. "I've always represented and supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body."

As an elite professional athlete, he has always "carefully reviewed, assessed" everything that he comes into contact with, from supplements to water to food. He was fully aware that refusing to take the vaccine would likely result in his missing out on major tournaments that he could otherwise use to break records. In early 2022, he had 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, and he was tied head-to-head with his lifelong rivals, Federer and Nadal. Federer retired in 2022, but Nadal was still competing. If ever there was a time to take a vaccine against your will just so you could compete for the 21st Grand Slam win, it was now. But that didn't matter to Djokovic.

"The principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title," he said to the BBC.

His trip to Australia to compete in the Australian Open culminated in a tumultuous 10-day episode where Djokovic tried to stay in Australia to defend his Australian Open title, but he ended up being kicked out of the country. The revelation of the decision was a crushing blow to his ardent fans, some of whom conveyed their profound desolation at not witnessing the 34-year-old ace in action. Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, commended the decision, emphasizing the country's commitment to stringent border controls for the safety of its citizens. However, the government's approach to the Djokovic situation sparked considerable criticism both domestically and internationally. People were furious, especially since this came on the tail of so many people sacrificing everything (sometimes even jobs or livelihoods) to avoid taking an experimental vaccine that we now know poses a risk to many people.

Djokovic has shown us all how to stand up to tyranny with grace and poise.

The tennis star's visa was initially cancelled on the basis that his presence might bolster anti-vaccine sentiments in Australia. During the court hearing, Djokovic's legal team posited that deporting the star might ironically have the same effect. Chief Justice James Allsop clarified that the judgment was solely based on the legality of the minister's decision, promising a comprehensive reasoning soon.

Djokovic was originally granted a medical exemption by two distinct health panels, following a positive Covid test in December. Yet, he was detained by the Australian Border Force on January 5, 2022, leading to his visa's annulment. Despite this initial setback, Djokovic continued his preparations for the Australian Open, only to face another visa cancellation in the interest of public welfare. While Djokovic never explicitly endorsed anything that the establishment would consider "anti-vaccine misinformation," he became a rallying point for freedom fighters everywhere who were fed up with the Covid tyranny.

The ongoing Australian Open was poised to be a historic event for Djokovic, potentially earning him his 21st Grand Slam. Instead, Nadal won the Australian Open in 2022, allowing him to surpass Djokovic as the only player in the world with 21 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic was mocked online, and many of the other tennis players made public statements about what a poor decision it was on his part.

“I think it would be a lot easier for him obviously if he was to get vaccinated,” Andy Murray, professional tennis player with three Grand Slam titles, said. “But I also didn’t like seeing him in the situation that he was in Australia as someone that I respect, have known since I was a child.”

"Of course, what's happening is not good for no one, in my opinion," Nadal said. "Seems some rough situation, but at the end of the day, the only thing that I can say is we have been going through very challenging and a lot of families have been suffering a lot during the last two years with all the pandemic [sic]."

"From my point of view, that's the only thing that I can say is I believe in what the people who knows about medicine says, and if the people says that we need to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine," Nadal continued. "I went through the Covid. I have been vaccinated twice. If you do this, you don't have any problems to play here. That's the only clear thing [sic]." Still, Djokovic stood his ground.

Novak Djokovic Was Also Banned from Entering the US for Refusing the Covid Vaccine

While 2022 was off to a rough start for Djokovic, the Australia saga wasn't the end of it. Although Djokovic was permitted into the UK and thus won Wimbledon in July 2022, he later announced that he wouldn't be able to travel to the United States in August to compete in the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the calendar year. Djokovic revealed on Twitter that he couldn't travel to New York for the tournament because of the CDC's requirement for all non-U.S. citizens to be fully vaccinated to enter the country.

"Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!" he wrote on Twitter.

This marked the first time since 2017 that he missed the US Open and extended his longest active drought in the tournament to four consecutive years. His only Grand Slam title in 2022 also represented his lowest single-season tally since 2018.

Djokovic was essentially giving up the chance to make history.

Djokovic's page was flooded with positive words of encouragement and praise for his commitment to his morals, regardless of what kind of international and professional pressure was put on him to change his mind. Sure, it would have made his life much easier if he had just gotten the vaccine, but fans of Djokovic knew that he would rather give up the chance to hold all the records than compromise his beliefs and put something in his body he wasn't comfortable with. Even thousands of people who had never watched tennis before or been remotely interested in the sport came out to support Djokovic and offer him uplifting words during this period of time. People pointed out how outrageous and unfair it was that there were unvaccinated players competing in the US Open because they didn't have to travel from out of the country, proving that this wasn't actually about "protecting" people from unvaccinated individuals. Meanwhile, Djokovic was written off by many tennis enthusiasts, accused of throwing away his career and losing the chance to beat Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles ever won.

For those who had never watched tennis, they didn't understand the magnitude of this situation. Djokovic was essentially giving up the chance to make history and become the greatest tennis player of all time. At this point, nobody really knew how long the vaccine mandates would stand. Many were convinced that it would be years until countries like the US and Australia would lift these arbitrary vaccine requirements, and Djokovic was 35 years old at the time, which is the age when athletes start to slow down and even consider retiring in the near future.

Novak Djokovic Wins 2023 US Open with Sweet, Poetic Justice

Call it luck or call it good old fashioned justice, but Djokovic was permitted to every country this year for all the Grand Slams—and he had a remarkably good year. He won the Australian Open, the French Open, and was a finalist at Wimbledon. And at the US Open, he was welcomed back by the fans with open arms. Throughout the tournament, many predicted that he would face his biggest rival in the final, 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who beat him in the Wimbledon final. Alcaraz is 16 years younger, faster, and arguably better at keeping up with long rallies on the court. When he entered the US Open, he had a record of 23 Grand Slam wins, tied with Serena Williams and one ahead of Nadal.

Djokovic has proven to the world that he is bigger than tennis.

On Sunday, Djokovic played Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final and won in straight sets. The celebration that came afterward brought many people to tears. The first place he went after shaking hands with Medvedev was to see his 6-year-old daughter in the front row. He hugged her as he cried, embracing her tightly. Then he climbed up to his box and celebrated with his family, his coaches, and friends like Matthew McConaughey. The win has put him in the number one spot for most Grand Slams won. He now has 24 titles. And it certainly seems like he still has a year or two more to compete and perhaps win even more.

Following his win, the internet exploded with praise and admiration for Djokovic's perseverance and commitment to his morals, regardless of how he was being pressured. Furthermore, Djokovic has shown us all how to stand up to tyranny with grace and poise. Throughout this entire ordeal, he maintained a gentlemanly demeanor and never put down anyone's choices, even though there were plenty of officials, players, and fans who spoke ill of him, his character, and his family along the way. Notice his language in every interview about the vaccine. He never said the vaccine was inherently evil. He never told other people what to do with their bodies. He simply took a stand for personal autonomy—and this is precisely what scares the establishment the most, the idea that individuals will sacrifice it all to stand up for their beliefs and maintain control over their own bodies.

In the crowd of the US Open, there were celebrities like Bill Gates, Ben Stiller, Jon Hamm, Charlize Theron, Kylie Jenner, Timothee Chalamet, and more. None of these famous people ever had the guts to go against the grain and risk their career for something bigger than themselves. In fact, most of these celebrities have openly pushed the vaccine and tried to pressure everyday people into getting the shot. Ah, the poetic justice of Djokovic taking home the title and stealing the world record in front of these spineless celebrities. To make things even sweeter, Moderna was a sponsor of the US Open.

Djokovic has proven to the world that he is bigger than tennis. He's the greatest athlete of all time. He's a beacon of freedom and peace for the world, an inspiration to millions who values health, family, and love over everything else. Perhaps this is why he is hated by so many—but loved and adored by millions.

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