(LifeSiteNews) — Serbian professional tennis player Novak Djokovic was banned from entering Australia in 2021 and 2022. The reason? He refused to get the COVID shot. The decision sparked intense international criticism.
For not genuflecting at the altar of Big Pharma, Djokovic became a pariah in the sports world. Hostile reporters as well as deranged fans berated him for his decision. The backlash peaked during matches, when one deranged spectator shouted, “get vaccinated!” Unfazed, Djokovic proceeded to serve an ace to win the point and the match.
Heckler: “Get vaccinated!”
Novak Djokovic: Serves an ace to win the match.Love it. 🔥🐐pic.twitter.com/orLsKE5VMT
— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) January 7, 2026
Djokovic had his revenge in 2023 when he won the Australian Open after the bans were lifted. He called the win the “biggest victory of my life.” The media, however, didn’t let the moment pass without scrutiny.
Mere minutes after Djokovic’s victory, ESPN anchor John McEnroe, a former world tennis number one, took a sympathetic approach.
“He gets deported out of Australia. Doesn’t get any points at Wimbledon,” McEnroe began. “Can’t play the [U.S.] Open.”
“A product of his choices, to be fair,” Chris Fowler interjected. “He made choices that led to that for some of those things.”
“I think he should have been permitted to play,” McEnroe continued.
“OK, well, that’s a debate” an unrelenting Fowler pressed on. “He did make choices that led to that … But that’s forget for the moment.”
John McEnroe and Chris Fowler got into an argument about the covid shot live on @espn as Novak Djokovic celebrated his Australian Open win. McEnroe argued Novak should have been able to play, Fowler seemed to take the other side. pic.twitter.com/bPikdGJSOj
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 30, 2023
Now 38 and nearing the twilight of his career, Djokovic is looking to leave his mark on the game he has dominated – along with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – for two decades.
This week, Djokovic will play in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Along the way, he tied Federer for most men’s singles matches at the tournament in the modern era. He also became the first player ever to reach 400 Grand Slam singles wins.
If Djokovic takes home the trophy this year, it will be his 11th overall Australian title and a record-extending 25th overall Grand Slam. The next closest is Federer, who is now retired and finished his career with 20, while Nadal notched a total of 22.
Whether he wins or not, Djokovic has secured his spot amongst the best, if not the best, in the history of the game. His decision to speak out during COVID also won him fans from outside the sports world. Some of the attacks he went through were brutal.
Howard Stern, for example, vulgarly called for Djokovic to thrown out of the sport. “The first I’ve heard of this guy is that he doesn’t want to get his vaccine, and he’s running around … They should throw him right [expletive] out of tennis.”
In contrast to his foul-mouthed critics, Djokovic has remained grounded. Nor has he shied away from expressing his religious beliefs.
“God is great” he declared after winning an Olympic gold medal for the first time in Paris in 2024. During an interview several days before the finals, Djokovic kissed the cross on his necklace that he wears during matches.
Several years prior to then in 2021, Djokovic, who is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church, famously said,“This is the most important title of my life, because before being an athlete, I am an Orthodox Christian.” He had just received the Order of St. Sava in the first degree from the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Djokovic is a rare athlete in an age where woke ideology and political correctness is all too common. One hopes that he will be victorious in his quest at this year’s tournament. Role models are not easy to come by in this day and age, and Djokovic is clearly that.
