Novak Djokovic has been under fire ever since he announced that he would be travelling for the Australian Open with medical exemption. The Serb conceded he had been ‘selfish’ and made a mistake in one of the key instances.
The Australian Open had a vaxx mandate and Djokovic, famously, hasn’t taken the jabs.
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The World No 1 was given medical exemption on the grounds that he had contracted the virus on December 16.
But Djokovic later admitted that he had conducted an interview with French publication L’Equipe, despite knowing that he had tested positibe, on December 18.
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“I admit that it was selfish what I’ve done by attending the interview with L’Equipe,” Djokovic told Serbian TV channel RTS. “My mistake which I own.
“I understand that not all people will forgive me and I understand the critics.”
Djokovic was deported from Australia on the eve of the Grand Slam.
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In his absence, Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open to break away from the three-way tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer and become the first man to win 21 singles majors.
In an explosive interview with the BBC earlier this week, the 20-time major champion had said that he was ‘pro-choice’ and was willing to sacrifice Grand Slams and titles if he was forced to take the jab.
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But the 34-year-old told Serbian TV that he was not closed to the idea of getting vaccinated in the future.
“I keep an open mind … Everything is possible in life, we will see how the situation will evolve, but at the moment I decided not to do it (get vaccinated)”.
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Djokovic will make his return at the Dubai Open, which begins on Monday.
“I can’t say that things will be the same when I return to the court .. but there is an additional reason to play better than ever,” he said.
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