23/02/2022
"I was never against vaccination," Djokovic said in an exclusive interview with the BBC, "but I've always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body."
Despite having a medical exemption to enter the country to play in the Australian Open, the country's immigration minister, Alex Hawke, personally cancelled the player’s visa, on the grounds that his presence could encourage anti-vaccine sentiment.
Referring to this, he said he initially could not get in touch with his family but was later allowed to access his phone when he was inside the detention centre.
Djokovic is an astounding individual, raised amid two wars in the former Yugoslavia. He is fluent in six languages, arguably The world's number one men's tennis player, and a deeply committed libertarian.
He has clearly thought thoroughly about the conflict between individual autonomy and the collective good - and he feels that, as an elite sportsman, his body is his business. He says he has an open mind, but as things stand, he will not get the jab.
Written by: Azmi Alam
Graphics by: Ahmed Nasif Jawaad
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