Djokovic Falls at Wimbledon, Stands Firm on Freedom
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic may have lost the final at Wimbledon this last week but he maintained his crown as the leading advocate for medical freedom in the sporting world.
Missing his chance to clench a 25th Grand Slam title and surpass Margaret Court for the most major wins in tennis history, the Serbinator was outplayed by Spanish young gun Carlos Alcaraz in a straight-sets match decided by a tiebreak in the third set. (READ MORE: Health ‘Experts’ Knew Covid Wasn’t Dangerous To Most Americans)
As impressive as the 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) match was, far more headlines were generated by Novak’s fourth-round appearance on Centre Court earlier in the week, when he shrugged off a heckling and interruptive crowd to beat Holger Rune.
Djokovic: ‘Have a Goooood Night’
Taunts from the bleachers have become a commonplace spectacle since “No Vax” Djokovic declined the COVID vaccine in 2021.
During his post-match press conference that day, Djokovic went straight for the jugular, first thanking “all the fans that have respect and that stayed here tonight… from the bottom of my heart,” before confronting his haters. (READ MORE: America Is Not a Parchment Promise)
“And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player—in this case, me—have a gooood night,” he said, drawing out the “O’s” in mockery of the crowd’s earlier boos.
The host alluded that Novak might have mistaken cheers of “Rune,” his opponent’s surname, for the word “boo.”
Djokovic dismissed the suggestion without flinching.
“I know they were cheering for Rune but that’s an excuse to also boo,” he said. “I have been on the tour for more than 20 years. I know all the tricks.”
“I’ve played in much more hostile environments,” Djokovic added, before wrapping up his speech with, “Trust me, you guys can’t touch me.” (READ MORE: The Reverie of Game Seven)
Google the incident today, and you’ll be met with a wall of media sludge blaming Novak for misunderstanding what the crowd really said.
I don’t believe it for a second — not from the same media that called Djokovic a “health risk,” “selfish,” “reckless,” “wildly anti-scientific,” and “the poster boy for backward conspiracy theories and alarmist nonsense.”
A Lesson in Dealing With the Hostile Media
After beating Rune, Djokovic sat down for an interview with the BBC. When it became clear the reporter lacked any real interest in the Serb’s tennis and was instead fishing for a gotcha moment related to the hostile crowd, Novak smelt a rat, and replied, “Do you have any questions other than the crowd?”
“I mean are you focused only on that?” he pressed. “This is the third question already. I said what I have to say, maybe we can speak about something else.”
When the interviewer half-heartedly changed the subject, Djokovic stood up and walked out of the interview.
Novak Djokovic ‘rightfully’ shows reporter his place #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/D0QnzBpP2J
— Novak India Fans (@NovakIndiaFans) July 9, 2024
I don’t blame the man.
I am an Australian, and I watched with shame as my country insulted, detained, and then deported Novak — one of the healthiest athletes on the planet — for allegedly posing a health threat.
In case you missed that bizarre chapter in tennis history, it eventually came to light that Djokovic’s vaccine status wasn’t even a factor in the decision. Australia’s minister for immigration at the time conceded that the tennis star’s recent recovery from COVID meant he posed a “negligible risk to those around him.”
The real reason was vaccine thoughtcrimes: “he might foster anti-vaccination sentiment,” warned the nation’s chief justice in a ruling that passed by unanimous verdict.
For those on Team Sanity, the decision sounded as deranged then as it so clearly does to the average punter now.
Djokovic never promoted anti-vaccine sentiment. He simply, and rather discreetly, explained that he reserved the right to choose what drugs were injected into his body.
And history has vindicated him.
In May, the New York Times ran a piece entitled “Thousands Believe Covid Vaccines Harmed Them. Is Anyone Listening?” which included heart-wrenching stories of lives forever changed by a lucrative product rushed to market without adequate testing but mandated on the masses.
Novak chose wisely, and despite still being jeered for his troubles, remains a man of principle.
To me, that’s worth far more than another Grand Slam title.
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