I cannot emphasize this enough, but it is flat-out crazy to see how many elite athletes across many sports are refusing to get vaccinated. These are young men and women (mostly men) whose bodies are their livelihoods and they’re like “yolo, vaccines aren’t safe!!” You know what’s unsafe? COVID. Too many dumbasses in the NFL are fighting like crazy to stay unvaccinated, which is bonkers. Also bonkers? The US Open starts on Monday and less than half of the tennis tour is vaccinated, by most estimates. It’s painful when there are top male players like Stefanos Tsitsipas spreading false information like “vaccines are only for old people” and “it’s good for young people to catch and spread Covid.” Now we have Novak Djokovic, the world #1 and a big fan of pseudosciences, speaking out once again about how vaccines are a “personal decision.”
Vaccinations are not required for players to compete for the $57.5 million in prize money. Nor will players be sequestered in a suburban bubble, as they were a year ago. They will be housed in Manhattan and will be tested for COVID upon arrival and every four days after that. An athlete who tests positive will be taken out of the competition, said Stacey Allaster, the U.S. Open tournament director.
“I feel like that should be always a personal decision, whether you want to get vaccinated or not. So I’m supportive of that,” said Novak Djokovic, who tested positive for the coronavirus in June 2020 after staging exhibitions that flouted COVID protocols. “Whether someone wants to get a vaccine or not, that’s completely up to them. I hope that it stays that way.”
No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece has said he won’t get vaccinated unless the men’s tour makes it mandatory. Dr. Brian Hainline, a member of the USTA’s medical advisory group and the chief medical officer of the NCAA, said Tsitsipas’ reasoning was typical of “emerging adults and our young adults.” Tsitsipas, a possible challenger to Djokovic’s dominance, is 23.
It’s not a personal decision, for the love of God! It’s not a personal decision when the US Open has mandated vaccines for all of the ticket-holders and all of the on-site employees and volunteers. Between Djokovic and Tsitsipas, the ATP tour is absolutely going to need to bite the bullet and just mandate it for all players. They should mandate it for New York, that way people could get their second shots when they go to Indian Wells in October. I continue to be disappointed in Novak that he still believes this bullsh-t, even after everything he’s seen 18 months into the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray remains unproblematic about vaccines. He was vaxxed several months ago and he continues to recognize that players need to get vaxxed for the good of society:
Andy Murray believes that in future tournaments, players who have not been vaccinated will have to continue living in the tennis ‘bubbles’, while those who have had the jab will be allowed more freedom.
“Over the next few months things are going to probably end up changing quite a bit,” said the Scot. “I know the conversations with regards to the Australian Open and stuff are already happening. The players that have been vaccinated are going to be having very different conditions to players who are not vaccinated. I can see it’s going to become an issue over the coming months.
“If tournaments are going to go ahead and be held like the Aussie Open, a lot of the tour is not vaccinated, but for them to go ahead and host it, they’re going to be allowing the players that have had the vaccination to train and move freely between the hotel and stuff, potentially not having to quarantine, and things like that. There’s going to have to be a lot of pretty long, hard conversations with the tour and all of the players involved to try and come to a solution.
“Even here in New York, you’ve got the situation with gyms and stuff, you need to be vaccinated. Eating in restaurants and things, obviously you have to be vaccinated. I feel like I’m enjoying kind of a fairly normal life, whereas for the players that haven’t, it’s different. I’m sure they’ll be frustrated with that.
“Ultimately I guess the reason why all of us are getting vaccinated is to look out for the wider public. We have a responsibility as players that are traveling across the world to look out for everyone else as well. I’m happy that I’m vaccinated. I’m hoping that more players choose to have it in the coming months.”
“We have a responsibility as players that are traveling across the world to look out for everyone else as well.” Yep. To quote that infamous HuffPo headline, “I Don’t Know How To Explain To You That You Should Care About Other People.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.
Novak had a “love guru” on staff for a while and was diagnosed with various ailments by holding bread above his stomach. He’s an idiot.
When he gets sick again from a variant (and we all know antibodies only last so long, not indefinitely), he should be sure to rest, drink plenty of bleach, and don’t forget to take his UV probe as needed. If not better in the morning, call his shaman or vet for further advice. 🐑
He’s an idiot.
Dumbass.
Wtf?
What a peanut.
P.S – I adore Andy Murray.
yes and yes.
Oh shut up Novak! And I say that as someone who loves watching him play but my god, just take a seat and put a muzzle on.
I used to love watching him play, but not now. Not for any reason.
I wish Djokovic would stick to playing tennis only. No interviews. I’m glad that at least Andy remains an unproblematic one
When an immune compromised person such as my grandmother, my little brother, my recent kidney transplant recipient best friend, or even – ahem – myself can make the decision to NOT become infected by the virus you’re spewing out into the air along with all of your personal choice then I’ll choose to care about your freedoms over my health and the health of those I love – and even the health of those I can’t stand.
You don’t have the right to kill other people because your feelings are hurt that you don’t get to feel like the most special of all the specials every minute of every day of your life. Sometimes it is necessary to consider the common good and where your place in that collective falls.
We should not have to explain this to grown adults!
No one has the right to be a public health hazard. The selfishness of people is incredible.
Love Andy!! I have enjoyed Novak’s play over the years but his ridiculous stance on vaccines has ended that. Tsitsipas is a great example of the hubris of youth. That usually comes around & smacks the crap out of you when you least expect it. The tour needs to pull the trigger & say get vaxxed or stay home.
@ Snappyfish : Country singer Charlie Major had a song called “It Can’t Happen To Me” about this exact kind of thing – the hubris of youth and the sometime deadly results. A middle school classmate of mine died in a reckless car accident – too much speed, no seatbelts. I also knew two teenage boys who died after crashing homemade go-carts. I understood what happened to people who always tried to beat the odds.
@Still_Sarah I am sorry for your loss. It’s hard to lose friends/classmates & especially so when you are young. I read this morning about a TX man who started an anti-mask/anti-vax group who died of COVID. Funny thing is that his wife said he was a “right conservative who didn’t believe in handouts”. So yeah, she set up an GoFundme page I think his thoughts about no handouts should be honored.
Yesss, Love Andy! That was a such a great IG promoting vaccination, love it.
This guy is an IRL Batman villain. What an idiot.
There’s a reason they are called “dumb jocks.”
Yes, it should be your choice to stay home and not infect other players if you don’t want to be vaccinated.
It’s just the classic thing of “man good at one thing assumes he is good at all things” but no one’s paying you to think about anything other than tennis, Novak.
What an effin idiot.
If that is the reasoning “typical of emerging adults”, then clearly those people are not ready to start adulting yet.
*Sigh* Last week there was a big antivaxx-antimask protest in the street outside my building. When I came out, wearing my mask, a woman confronted me, yelling about how the state is forcing her to wear a mask. I said, “I don’t want to wear a mask,either. But it’s you that’s forcing me to wear one, so where do I sign up for that protest?”
I’m usually pretty peaceful, but these people are making me crazy.
Let’s take a running count of the absolute stupid arrogance of this man. Threw a tantrum and broke his racquet after losing in singles at the Olympics, all the while criticizing Simone Biles for not being able to handle pressure. And while Simone cheered loudly and supported her teammates during competition, Novak selfishly withdrew from doubles leaving his poor partner out in the cold. And before this, he held his stupid Adria tour during the height of Covid in 2020, where players, including himself partied up and down, spreading the virus to each other.
Agree and I hope that loss at the olympics is the start of an epic losing streak for this guy.
Meanwhile Andy Murray is a class act as always.
Yes, it should be a personal decision, you idiots. Not everone wants to be a test animal for big pharma
And this is coming from a woman, married to a pharmacist, who reluctantly got my full round of vaccines. Lets face it, we are all probably all gonna get this virus at some point. Whether it be a delta varient or the next one.
Our body, our choice? Is he wrong ladies?
Red flag: calling everyone an idiot who doesn’t believe in conspiracy theories. Do you also believe in people who channel the pleiadian aliens? Because this is all right up the New Age bs alley.
Perhaps your pharmacist partner can explain to you how vaccines work.
It’s the name calling right out of the gate for me…or maybe the co-opting of abortion rights language? Can’t decide.
Yes, it’s a personal decision. And those decisions have consequences. Getting dragged on the internet or losing your job are only a few. Some of you have never lived with an immunocompromised person (or been one yourself) and it shows.
I don’t know how to explain to people anymore that you have to care about people outside of your own, am I wrong ladies?
The co-opting of abortion rights language bugs me, too. Abortion isn’t a public health risk. It’s a personal health decision that only affects the person making the choice. People who choose to get an abortion aren’t walking around emitting abortion rays that cause anyone they come into contact with the spontaneously abort. People who walk around unvaccinated and unmasked because they want to take their chances with covid *are* breathing all over us and emitting covid particles that can make all of the rest of us sick, even if we don’t want to get sick and are trying super hard to protect ourselves.
Yes, when it’s a matter of public health, he’s wrong. My body, my choice applies when your choice doesn’t hurt other human beings.
I know I shouldn’t feed the trolls, but I live in Florida and I’m really tired of this nonsense.
It’s like smoking cigarettes. It’s not illegal to do so, it’s your body and your lungs and if you want to destroy them by smoking because it makes you feel good and special, you’re allowed to. But when you smoke around other people, you put them in danger. So you’re not allowed to smoke on the tennis court, or in restaurants, gyms, or at work. This analogy works for being vaccinated and also for masking. If one person is smoking in a store or restaurant, it goes everywhere and we can all smell it and see the smoke wafting around. Not all of us who are exposed are automatically going to get lung cancer, but some of us, who are exposed to multiple smokers over and over again will have health consequences even if we don’t smoke ourselves. Same sort of thing for breathing your non vaccinated, unmasked breath all over the place. It circulates, it doesn’t just affect you, you’re not the only one taking the risk, and the more times we’re exposed to that by more and more people over time, the greater the risk to our health even if we’re vaccinated or masking.
@AmyToo this analogy is EXCELLENT.
Claire living in Florida right now you have EVERY RIGHT to be tired of this nonsense
ClaireB I’m in Florida too and I feel your pain. Stay safe.
Excellent analogy, Amy Too!
Over and over during this I heard “if you’re scared to the virus, stay home, I’m going to go live my life.”
So I now say “If you’re scared of the vaccine, stay home, I’m going to go live my life.”
In a society where people have to live together, personal choice doesn’t extend indefinitely. Personal boundaries bump up against other people’s boundaries. A person has the right to get Covid if they want, but they don’t have the right to spread it to others.
Name calling is a sign that you’re losing the argument before you even begin. You call those of us who are vaccine proponents “ idiots “, so I guess I could call you a crazy bitch, but I’ll refrain. I will however say that I firmly believe that those who choose to not be vaccinated should be the very last treated at hospitals; after heart attacks, strokes, etc., and definitely after patients who are vaccinated. Anti-vaxers should not be allowed to fill the hospitals. Please remember your personal decision and remain at home.
Do you not understand that even if it’s “everybody getting it” that “everybody getting it” means something VERY different when vaccination protects extremely well against critical illness and DEATH and preserves hospital capacity?
I mean I know you say you are married to a pharmacist so that must mean you are educated and have that special insight into the pandemic.
Get lost troll.
“Everybody getting it” also varies wildly from person to person.
My elderly, but healthy as a horse (for all the abuse he’s put his body through) grandfather would likely have a much better time of it than my recent kidney transplant recipient best friend, while my uncle with an gold standard immune system would probably fair a lot better than my disabled grandmother.
And that’s still not a guarantee because NO ONE KNOWS how the virus will effect someone until it is too late. Why not be better safe than sorry with something you know has the distinct possibility of killing you?
Maybe the idea of catching a strong flu doesn’t frighten someone. But me, who has had pneumonia around a dozen times in her life and becomes bedridden with due intense seasonal allergies and sinus issues several times a year? Yeah, I’m rightly terrified and would be very happy to be able to go to the grocery store without the fear of imminent death dogging my every step.
@terra exactly!
Glad to see the poster who thinks they derive authority for ignorant pronouncements via laying down with a pharmacist is out although it was a bit of comedy.
There are too many comments under this to delete it. I’m sorry it got through. This anti-vaxx nutjob is banned.
Thanks Kaiser!
Yes – Thank you!!
I wonder if “Galaxy’s” pharmacist spouse is one of those that was paid by the Christian Right to go into the profession specifically so they could deny BC and the morning-after pill to women. These pharmacists don’t give a darn about science or public health, just their narrow agenda.
It is absolutely a personal decision, and a person has the right to choose. BUT, don’t expect to have the right to travel on an airplane, visit another country, retain your job, be welcome at sporting events and concerts. And if you’re so skeptical of the medical community and big pharma don’t you dare show up at the hospital looking for medical assistance and pharmaceuticals to treat you when you do get covid.
You don’t have the right to speed through the streets because other drivers or pedestrians might get hurt, you don’t have the right to wave a loaded gun in a public space because others might get caught in crossfire, you dont have the right to set off fire works in your backyard in case you burn your neighbor’s house down. Society is full of written and unwritten rules to keep others safe. Dont want to follow those rules, dont expect to be welcome in society.
But being married to a pharmacist basically makes one a pharmacist, right? And frankly, if these are the conversations they are having at home, I am concerned that said pharmacist is not meeting the standards of professional practice.
First you call people idiots and then you call them ladies. Yeah it’s not endearing.
Remember, the vaxxed aren’t the ones lining up for the sheep dip.
You should sociopath less.
Am I wrong, ladies?
Oh I’m sorry, have contraception and abortion become transmissible and contagious through air and contact? Did I miss something? Sit down, lol.
@Galaxy — what an ugly thing to say. We are not test animals for big pharma, we are trying to stop a killer disease in its tracks. People like you (and quite possibly your “pharmacist” husband) are the reason why the Delta variant is winning. Hospitals are overflowing with covid patients, especially in the south, so that people needing surgery, treatment for cancer, etc. are being bumped to the end of the line. ICU’s are filled up so covid cases are being housed in tents. Doctors and nurses are burning out and quitting their profession. You are a selfish, stupid person and I’m happy you’ve been banned from this site.
Eww, Anti-vax troll!
Also, how privileged is it to STILL spout anti-vax bullshit online after you were ‘reluctantly’ vaccinated after learning convincing science from your medically-educated family members, LOL.
“I’m vaxxed, but I wouldn’t have been if I’d only had my way…” ?
There are “freedoms” in our lives that have limits. I would use the example of driving a car. You can freely own a car, but if you want to drive it, you have to jump through all kinds of hoops: you have to pass a test, carry insurance, be a minimum age, etc. We don’t just allow people get away with statements like: “I have faith in my driving skills” or “If you’re worried about unsafe drivers, stay home” We *all* give up some liberty for the collective good. That’s how I view vaccine mandates: yes, they infringe upon our individual rights, but tough shit! We live in a society, and that means occasionally forcing ourselves to think about how our choices impact other people.
Abortions aren’t contagious, last time I checked.
He just sold his new condo next door to the collapsed Champlain Towers in Florida.
Friend of Jay Cuttler?
This guy is basically becoming John McEnroe 2.0 and his ignorance is appalling. Why anyone would listen to him for advice about covid 19 is beyond me. McEnroe’s behavior on the court in the 80’s wasn’t cute then and it’s not cute now with this guy.
Lawd…the amount of people worried about being “test subjects for big pharma” is astounding.
Let’s hit some truths here:
1. Big pharma is big pharma because they make things that work.
2. Big pharma isn’t going to remain big pharma by killing hundreds of millions of people off.
3. It is better to be a test subject for the vax than a test subject for the virus.
4. If you are a test subject for the virus, you are contributing to creating variants that may evade vaccines, but more important, might be even deadlier. We do not need Covid mutating into something as deadly as smallpox.
Hospitals are full of unvaxxed folks dying on ventilators. You know what they are not full of? Folks suffering from I’ll effects from the vaccine. There’s virtually nobody dealing with that.
Yeah, it’s frustrating. And while I have many issues with the way medications are advertised and how some stuff gets approved, ultimately, I still very much trust the scientists working in pharma. Does anyone really believe people will study in uni for a decade (or more), getting thousands of dollars in debts just to screw up everyone for $70K/yr?
Lots of the initial research is performed in university labs by grad students working 60hrs/wks for $20K and they’ll usually make $0 if the IP is ever sold to a company. The people in the labs doing the research are doing it for the right reasons and aren’t the ones making profits: they have no reasons to try to harm themselves and others.
Meanwhile, the people complaining about “Big pharma” usually have something to sell and their profit margins are way bigger than those of pharmas
“Big pharma” is a popular subject with influencers/gifters/new age lifestyle coaches that sell supplements and vitamins that will cure you of everything and make them money! There’s a reason why our lifespan has almost doubled in the last 100 years. It’s called modern medicine.
NOT during a pandemic, mister.
GAH. THESE PEOPLE ARE SO FRUSTRATING.
The only place where it’s not a personal decision is probably China.
We have the right to not get vaccinated and stay home. Leaders have the right to make rules about their stores, events, vehicles, and for the govt leaders, some public spaces. Personal decision does not mean « and retain all the rights of the vaccinated. » I guess when you are very good at a sport you may have a big ego and not be interested or motivated to learn deeply about whatever or develop wisdom
How do these idiots expect the pandemic to be over? Oh I forgot, they think it’s not real.
At this point in the pandemic with Delta raging, anyone who says stuff like this is just being a straight up ignorant troll. There is no excuse for these players not to be vaccinated.
No. It is not a personal decision. Not vaxx can and will continue to allow the virus to spread and sicken and kill people. Worldwide, ffs!
My goodness I am fed up with these anti vaxxers.
Stop giving them a spotlight.
Right now, Hurricane Ida is set to cause major damage.
Hospitals and resources have been on Emergency threat for almost 2 years!
Supplies and Health Care workers have been under major stress.
They just found a new variant out of South Africa which is the most mutated so far. This is all because of unvaccinated people. We had a 1000 person protest the other day here. Bunch of morons against vaccine passports. I’m all for vaccine passports because then these idiots will have no choice but to go get the damn shot. We all did our part now you do yours !
Andy Murray just keeps getting hotter thanks to things like this.
Yes, he and everyone else has the right to not get vaccinated. But they keep leaving out the other part. Those of us who are vacinated have the right to tell you to stay at home and don’t come out. You see we live in a society. Which means there are things you have to do to be a part of that society. Not causing other people to become sick is one of those. So drop out of all your matches and keep your germy ass at home.
Exactly – that’s what they said to us for so long, just stay home! Well now it’s our turn to go out and live life again – don’t want to get vaccinated? Fine – stay home.
Shame on tournament organizers for not mandating that players be vaccinated, thereby leaving the door open for idiots like Djokovic to spew their nonsense.
I have a strong feeling that the Aus Open at least will try their darndest to make them all get it, or they’ll have to do quarantine like this year. Goodness knows Djoker’s girlfriend couldn’t handle not getting her hair done for two weeks again lol.
Novak has been married to Jelena for some years so I don’t think the girlfriend’s hair issue was to do with him. He is an ass though. I hope he won’t win the US Open but fear he will.
He continues to disappoint. He learned nothing from the disasterous tournament he organized. He was willing to risk the lives of everyone who showed up there and continues to not care about about anyone but himself.
Perhaps the concern of athletes should be considered more carfully. Athletes are always greatly concerned about the well-being of their bodies because they need to be extremely healthy in order to perform well. And they need to perform well because that is how they earn their living. In short: top athletes can be expected to be very careful and they can be expected to refuse anything that might be bad for their health. They also have access to expensive and brilliant doctors and not just those doctors who treat the masses. The most brilliant doctores can command huge fees which the general public can’t pay. I really would like to know what advice these doctors give to those top tier athletes.
These solo athletes choose their own doctors and what advice they want to listen to though. If I was a doctor and had a chance to capitalise financially on being the person treating Novak I wouldn’t rock the boat either. Remember that Sharapova got caught taking a banned drug a year after it was made illegal, she had to get that drug from somewhere. Where was her wise and knowledgeable medical team then?
Then they should have a look at studies of incidences of myocarditis in college athletes that tested + for covid. It’s somewhere between 0.6% and 15% (depending on the methods used to look at heart damages, MRIs tend to overestimate it). Even the lowest estimate is far higher than the risks of a similar side effect due to the vaccine.
But let’s face it: top athletes are often undereducated because they spent so much time practicing and very little studying so while they know a lot about their sport, they know little about the rest and are surrounded by sycophant. And no, they aren’t necessarily treated by the best doctors, Nassar comes to mind… How many concussions are disregarded because they need a player to perform right now even if it jeopardize their future? There are exceptions of course, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, one of the Chiefs’ guard, is also a MD and took all of last season off to work as an orderly instead oof playing football, but pro athletes are usually clueless when it comes to health and infectious diseases..
Bit off-topic, but curious if this happens in the US as well: lately in Europe if you go to a doctor with a various health issue, they ask you if you got vaccinated and state that it might caused by the vaccine, as a side effect. Happened to a lot of vaccinated young (in their 30s) people, myself included (i m fully vaccinated since May and science oriented). Some friends where even diagnosed with heart issues. The doctors emphasize that getting the vaccine is far better than having COVID, but side effects can appear months later.. i don t know what to belive anymore
Where in Europe? That’s a pretty big area.
My understanding is that many are quick to suspect the vaccine for Heath issues but none or very few have been proven to be connected.
It’s not a new vaccine, as it’s base has been around for several years. Only the specifics of this novel coronavirus was plugged in to make the vaccines.
So far almost all news of the dangerous vaccine has been disproven.
This.
I fucking love Andy Murray.
I’m tired, exponentially exhausted of this nonsense from these willful know-nothings. To inoculate ourselves from these vectors of transmission of ignorance and disease, we must vote and get vaccinated. ✌✌
It’s a personal decision but the endless misinformation coming from the very top of the GQP renders making an intelligent choice impossible for those who listen to them.
So much pain coming to so many people because of them.
Matters affecting public health are…public.
I agree. Sure, your body your choice, but then the hospitals should be completely fine denying these people healthcare when they get sick.
His true colors have been revealed to the world during the pandemic. No longer a fan of this excellent player. Now, Andy Murray…a great tennis player and even more important, an excellent human!
It’s my job to roll out the Key to the City plan. If f*cking infuriates me that they made this exception for these players. The Open is held in one of the most vulnerable parts of the city. I truly hate that these stupid overly privileged *ssholes are putting my people more at risk.
Setting aside the obvious sociopathy of not getting a vaccination in a pandemic, here’s one of the many, many things that I just don’t get about these people: do they think vaccine mandates are new? They act like a vaccine mandate is some kind of truly dystopian dark new frontier of government overreach, but every school my kid has ever attended has required vaccinations of one kind or another—flu shot, varicella, measles, etc etc etc.
I knew Novak was an anti vaxer, but I am so very disappointed that Stefanos Tsitsipas, the very talented and good looking Greek tennis player, is spouting the same line. By his own admission, he has not yet been vaccinated. Ugh!
And he is shocked that no one likes him.
I’ve decided that signaling while driving is a minor distraction and inconvenience to all. I’ve decided to stop informing my fellow drivers of my next move (what do they want to get inside my head for??) and letting common sense do the talking—or driving, as it were. We have instincts for a reason! It’s my right, and the more I do it, the more people will rise up and follow my lead. Pretty soon we will have beaten Big Signal once and for all!
Who’s with me? Come on, guys, we HAVE to leave what we learned in driver’s school behind. 😉
Hate this bitch.
Valerie, I like it. And let’s make those anti-freedom red light/green light laws obsolete, too. I go when I feel like it and I stop that way, too. Fuck it. My freedom is at stake. Nobody else’s business. But if I end up in a crash, I want to be first in the ER and get the first available bed. Because I matter.
100%! lol. That’s them all over. It’s all a government plot until they need help. Then they want the doctors and nurses that they degraded and spat on, sometimes literally, to be their saviours.
I am very happy with his statement. I’m hoping he will keep a firm stand.
LOL. All I can do is laugh. Sorry.