Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic    (tennis player)
Born	22 May 1987 Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia
Nationality	Serbian
The world's #1 tennis player who spoke out about the COVID-19 Vaccine. An effort to smear him was foiled when the model concerned blew the whistle, stating that she was offered 60,000 euros to seduce him.

Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who began his career in 2003. He was among Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2012 and one of the very few high profile public figures who spoke out about the COVID-19 Vaccine. Djokovic made a flying start to the 2020 season, winning the Australian Open in January for his 17th grand slam title and stretched his winning run to 18 matches before the coronavirus pandemic brought sports events across the world to a halt. BBC News said the "athletes are also susceptible to conspiracy theories'.

Against mandatory vaccination

In April 2020 in a Facebook live stream with other Serbian athletes Djokovic said that he opposed mandatory vaccination before return to the tennis circuit:

“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel. But 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’t know."

Reported smear attempt

Serbian model Natalija Scekic reported that she was offered 60,000 Euros to seduce Novak Djokovic in an effort by someone she knew from the city of London to ruin his reputation:

“It is true that a guy contacted me. I know him from the city [of London] and I considered him a serious guy. I am familiar with their work and they were good. When he asked me for a date, I thought it was for a business matter. However, as the conversation progressed, I saw that it had nothing to do with my life. I thought it was a hidden camera when he told me that I had to seduce Novak and film it, but not to worry about that because he was already taking care of that. He told me I could get about 60,000 euros for that and a trip wherever I wanted. I laughed, expecting him to say it was a joke, but the man was very serious. I felt very offended and humiliated.”
Natalija Scekic (21 March 2021) 

2022 Australian Open

In January 2022, three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic was one of "a handful" of players and staff to be granted a medical exemption from mandatory COVID-19 vaccination by Tennis Australia and the Department of Health of the state government of Victoria.

Djokovic travelled to Melbourne on 5 January but was detained by the Australian Border Force after they determined he did not meet the entry requirements for an unvaccinated traveller. His visa was cancelled and he was held in an immigration detention hotel for several days awaiting a court hearing. It was later revealed that Djokovic tested positive for COVID-19 on 16 December 2021 which was used as the basis for his exemption. Djokovic stated that he was notified of the positive test on 17 December and admitted that he did not isolate afterwards, attending an interview and photo shoot.

On 10 January, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia ruled in favour of Djokovic, ordering his release and awarding costs.

On 14 January 2022, Alex Hawke, the Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, exercised his ministerial powers under the Migration Act 1958 to cancel Djokovic's visa, citing "health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so". An appeal against the decision was launched, with a hearing due to be held on 16 January prior to Djokovic's scheduled first match on the next day. His lawyers' basis for the appeal is the belief that Hawke's decision was based on anti-vaccination concerns rather than it being in the public good.

On 16 January 2022, Novak Djokovic's appeal was rejected and he departed Australia on an Emirates flight bound for Dubai.

Rio Tinto

From September to December 2021, there were large protests in Serbia opposing a plan for British-Australian conglomerate Rio Tinto, the world's second-largest metals and mining corporation, to mine for lithium. The plan would have meant the eviction of the people living in the area, and the destruction of the natural environment. By December, president Aleksandar Vučić intended to abolish the plan completely, giving the Australians reason to punish Novak.

On media consumption

"I haven't read newspapers or applications, or printed editions, I haven't watched news on TV for several years," Djokovic said. "However, due to my presence on social networks, I come across this information that is leaked through the media."

"It doesn't affect me as before, because in a way I'm used to it - from the world media, even from the domestic one," Djokovic said. "Propaganda is being created, I'm drawn into all that on the basis of something I said earlier. The information system has gone in a direction that is no longer one that is the basis for journalism. There is less free journalism and information… more is controlled from one or two sources, so propaganda is spread that suits the elite.

"It certainly affects me, but that won't stop me from advocating for things that I think are right," he added.

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