My working theory is that the pandemic broke the brains of a lot of privileged men around the world. It was the first time men of power, privilege, authority and access felt helpless and like they were at the whims of governments and health authorities. They were told “wear a mask and practice social isolation” and they started screaming “my body, my choice.” Novak Djokovic is a prime example of this. To be fair, Djokovic always had wacky, pseudoscientific beliefs and he always treated his body like a science experiment for quacks and wingnuts. He mostly kept that sh-t private up until the pandemic. Then suddenly, his anti-vaccine, anti-science bullsh-t became his “cause.”
In the early months of the pandemic, Djokovic organized a full-scale exhibition tennis tour in which no one wore masks and (of course) covid spread like wildfire among players and the crowd. Then there was the deportation saga – Djokovic refused to get covid-vaccinated in 2021, then he likely falsified records to get into Australia, then Australian authorities deported him just before the Australian Open. He recently covered GQ and he spoke again about his anti-vaccine stance and proclaimed that he has never gotten the covid vaccine (despite reportedly having covid multiple times in the past five years). That GQ cover story got a lot of attention in the international anti-vaxx wingnut community, and wouldn’t you know, Robert Kennedy Jr. sought out a photo-op with Djokovic:
Novak Djokovic. First in tennis. First in integrity. First in courage. Guess who won this match? pic.twitter.com/v7JmM8bSAB
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) March 23, 2025
I’m sorry, but this looks awful for both of them. Djokovic looks like he attracts the worst of the anti-science, anti-vaccine, pro-death wingnuts, and Kennedy looks like he’s cosigning all of Novak’s worst and dumbest beliefs. When Kennedy posted this on Sunday, tennis fans were absolutely ripping these two dumbf–ks to pieces. Birds of a feather, etc.
Kennedy recently hung out with Russell Brand (credibly accused predator) and Dr. Oz (wingnut) too. This is the company Novak keeps.
Photos courtesy of Kennedy’s social media, Avalon Red.
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- Robert F Kennedy, Jr testifies before the United States Senate Committee on Finance concerning his nomination to be US Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. Copyright: xRonxSachsx/,Image: 958656296, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Ron Sachs / CNP /MediaPunch/Avalon/Avalon
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- ATP, Tennis Herren QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN ROUND OF 32 Novak Djokovic of Serbia competes in her round of 32 match against Matteo Berrettini of Italy during the ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2025 tennis tournament at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, on February 18, 2025. DOHA Qatar Copyright: xNOUSHADx,Image: 965797948, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/NOUSHAD/Avalon
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- ATP, Tennis Herren QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN ROUND OF 32 Novak Djokovic of Serbia speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz after losing the men s singles round of 32 against Matteo Berrettini of Italy at the ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2025 tennis tournament at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, on February 18, 2025. DOHA Qatar Copyright: xNOUSHADx,Image: 965801571, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/NOUSHAD/Avalon
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- ATP, Tennis Herren QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN ROUND OF 32 Novak Djokovic of Serbia speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz after losing the men s singles round of 32 against Matteo Berrettini of Italy at the ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2025 tennis tournament at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, on February 18, 2025. DOHA Qatar Copyright: xNOUSHADx,Image: 965801617, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/NOUSHAD/Avalon
He’s disgusting. They all are. Nothing but loser deviants who have nothing to offer the world but ego and arrogance.
Andy Murray is on my list of “forever good guys”. I cannot fathom how he has to contort himself to continue dealing with Djokovic.
Great! Esoteric quack meets drug-addled destroyer of public health with half a brain!
Make Antivaxxers Go Away!
Wondering what Andy Murray is thinking right now.
PS: I only saw this via your tweet, @Kaiser, as my bubble in the socials was busy telling the raw milkers what could happen* if they continued drinking it.
*not only to them, but to general (human and veterinary) public health via outbreaks of enterohemorrhagic E. Coli, bovine tuberculosis, listeria, salmonella, shigella, cow pox, bird flu…
How do you pronounce his name? I’ve been saying “Novak Jokeofabitch”.
The name going around during the pandemic was “Novax Djocovid” or “Novax Djercovid”.
Yours works too!
On Novaks X page, one of his supporters wrote that there hasn’t been any tennis player in history that has received more hate than Novak because of his beliefs etc.That post got hundreds of likes. I am willing to bet the supporter purposely forgot about the Williams sisters and Arthur Ashe.
Arthur Ashe and the Williams sisters didn’t get hate because of their ‘beliefs’.
I think it was something else.
Birds of an anti-vaxxer feather! Hope they give each other a nasty virus so the can perish in each others ignorant arms.
If he’s had Covid several times, his brain must be addled.
Pity the poor doctors who ever have to treat him.
Dr Oz promotes “health.” This is the second time I’ve seen a shirtless photo of him and he has no muscle tone. Also, can he be sucking in that stomach any harder?!?
Exactly @ Preston. These crazy right wingers and anti vaxxers always play the victim. But they believe they are being big time persecuted. They haven’t a clue.