Novak Djokovic… love him or hate him, he’s an exceptionally weird, charismatic and interesting man. Djokovic is 37 years old and entering his 22nd year on the professional tennis tour. He will try to win his 25th Slam title this year, despite picking up a knee injury last year. Djokovic didn’t win a Slam or an ATP title in 2024, but he did something even bigger: he finally won an Olympic gold medal. He has now completed every achievement in tennis – won every major multiple times, won every “big tournament” on the ATP tour multiple times, won Davis Cup, won the tour finals multiple times, and now he has a gold medal. Some people think he should have retired after the Olympics, because what else is there to conquer? But I understand why he didn’t retire – last year was all about Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray’s retirements, and I feel like Novak didn’t want to step on their toes. Plus, he really does want that 25th Slam. He’s currently in Melbourne, preparing for the Australian Open, which starts on Monday. Andy Murray is his new coach, lmao. Novak covers the February issue of GQ, and he talks about all of this, his rivalries with Nadal and Roger Federer, how he was deported from Australia in 2022 and more. Some highlights:
Why is he still playing? “Tennis is still my biggest megaphone to the world…But… I am thinking about how I want to end it and when do I want to end it. No, I’m going to take that back. I do think about more how than when. When I’m not thinking about it as of yet so intensely. How—How I would like to end it? I feel if I start to lose more and feel like there is a bigger gap, that I start to have more challenges in overcoming those big obstacles in big Slams, then I’ll probably call it a day. But right now I’m still okay, keep continuing.”
Why he believes he was deported from Australia in 2022: “That’s the actual reason why I was deported from Australia…That’s what the three federal judges said in the end. Their sentence is that they are not in a position to question the discretionary right of the [immigration] minister. It was so political. It had nothing really to do with vaccine or COVID or anything else. It’s just political. The politicians could not stand me being there. For them, I think, it was less damage to deport me than to keep me there. With my situation in Australia, I was proclaimed to be a villain number one of the world.”
He’s thinks “my body, my choice” is about vaccines: “My stance is exactly the same today as it was a few years ago. I’m not pro-vaccine. I’m not anti-vax. I am pro-freedom to choose what is right for you and your body. So when somebody takes away my right to choose what I should be taking for my body, I don’t think that’s correct.”
He had health issues after his deportation: “I had some health issues. And I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed with some food that poisoned me… I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discoveries that I was, I had a really high level of heavy metal. Heavy metal. I had the lead, very high level of lead and mercury.”
He never got Covid-vaccinated: “No, no. Because I don’t feel like I needed one. I just don’t feel like I needed one. I’m a healthy individual, I take care of my body, take care of my health needs, and I’m a professional athlete. And because I’m a professional athlete, I’m extremely mindful of what I consume, and I do regular tests, blood tests, any kind of tests. I know exactly what’s going on. So I didn’t feel a need to do that. Also, what is important to state is knowing that I’m not a threat to anybody. ’Cause I wasn’t. Because I had antibodies.”
The first words he thinks of to describe other tennis players: Roger Federer: “Elegance.” Rafael Nadal: “Tenacity.” Carlos Alcaraz: “Charisma.” Jannik Sinner: “Skiing.”
What he thinks of Alcaraz & Sinner: “It’s too early. But, you know, people say my records will never be broken. I doubt that. I mean, Carlos could be already the next guy. Even Jannik. If they take care of the body, if they do things in a proper way, focus on longevity, focus on the long-term, then they can do it. Carlos has done something no one has done in history for such a young age. So the odds are with him. He is going to complete his [career] Slam very soon. He’s even said himself, he wants to make history. He wants to be ‘the best in history.’ I respect that kind of mentality of ‘Hey, I think I got the goods.’ But maybe it’s a little bit early for him to think about history.”
His thoughts on Federer & Nadal, now that they’re both retired: “Well, I don’t see them. I don’t see them much. But the rivalry that we had between the three of us, the rivalries are eternal, I think. It’s just something that leaves an incredible mark and legacy on this sport. Something that will last forever. Something that I’m very proud of, very happy to be part of that group. They’ve been an integral part of my success and the history that I made of the sport. The rivalries with them have toughened me up like nothing has done throughout my career. So that’s on the tennis side. And privately it’s kind of going up and down, to be honest. I try to be always respectful and friendly to them off the court. But I didn’t have the acceptance early on, ’cause I did go out on the court saying and showing that I’m confident that I want to win. And I don’t think that both of them maybe liked that in the early days. Particularly because most of the players were going out to play them, not to win. And because of that confident stance, they probably were even more distanced from me. And that’s fine. I accepted it as it is. I understood the messaging that I got, which was we are rivals and nothing else. And to be quite frank, it’s very difficult to be a friend on the tour. If you are biggest rivals, and you’re constantly competing and you’re number one and two and three in the world, and for you to be close, go for dinners and family trips, it’s tough to expect that, to be honest.”
He wants to connect with Roger & Rafa in the years to come: “I think, with Roger, the last few times that I saw him, we talk about family, being on the road. And actually I do wish to connect with those guys more, on a deeper level. I really do. Whether that’s going to happen or not, I don’t know if they share the same desire or willingness. I do. I do want to…and let’s see, it depends how life is going to guide us or turn out for all of us. We live in different places and I think tennis is what brought so much to all of us. And tennis is probably still going to bring us together in some shape or form.”
I think people will always attack Novak for not being more like Roger or Rafa, for beating them so often in the last half of their careers, and then saying that he would actually love to spend time with them now. I take it at face value – he knows he shared something special with those two, and he’s hopeful that when all is said and done, they can some day sit down together and reminisce. The way he wept at Roger’s retirement said a lot to me, as did the fact that Roger wanted him there. As for the younger guys, he’s so wary of Sinner and Alcaraz, but I have to say, there are so many younger guys who just worship him.
Cover & IG courtesy of GQ.
These selfish men sicken me. This is the ultimate in male, white privilege. He makes himself out to be a victim while getting away with doing exactly what he wants and spreading misinformation. He thinks that because he thinks it and wants it is is correct and true. I don’t find him interesting or charismatic. I find him an example of male arrogance and selfishness. He can kick rocks.
He’s also not good at thinking.
The only accurate words you used to describe him is exceptionally wierd.
1,000% YES. What a self centered weirdo turd.
I mean he probably doesn’t. He’s a healthy dude. The vaccine didnt really prevent transmission
While the vaccines end up being better at preventing severe disease than preventing infection, we didn’t know that when they became available during the pandemic. Many of us got vaccinated, even if we felt that we could personally beat the disease, because we had medically fragile friends and family that we were shielding. We did it for the benefit of the larger group. This jerk cares about no one but himself and I don’t find that in any way admirable.
According to studies, people with vaccines had symptoms appear sooner (days sooner) than those who had no vaccine so in that way, it helped reduce transmission (most people are considerate and when realize they are sick, they isolate).
Also if memory serves, this guy held superspreader parties at the peak of the pandemic. So if he doesn’t want a vaccine, fine, but don’t go putting others at risk, especially in counties that didn’t have access to the best vaccines (many in eastern Europe were stuck with the Russian one which was not as effective).
He’s such a disappointment as a human being. Instead of letting him talk about his poor fee-fees, the interviewer should have reminded him that in the December before that AO, he did public events with covid and not only did he clearly not isolate, he failed to disclose. One of those events was with children.
He’s had covid at least 3 times and has surely infected others. Yay for Australia for kicking him out.
It significantly decreased the risk.
ND being deported after entering Australia against our laws at the time was not political. We had strict quarantine in place to protect the Australian population from a deadly and highly contagious virus. We were one of the most successful countries in the world keeping covid transmission down for a reason, and our strict immigration laws at that time were a key part of it.
Want to bet the “poisoning” was actually covid.
He is incredibly delusional. He thinks Australia poisoned him?!? The hubris — just off the charts.
The subtext of his statement about vaccination boils down to, “I’m healthy and trust my body.” It shows a complete lack of understanding of basic biology.
I’m not sure he’d trust his immune system enough to have unprotected sex with some who has syphilis.
I wonder if he would have unprotected sex with someone that had syphilis — because he has a healthy immune system. Which is apparently good enough.
Bros like this never want to use a condom
That is absolutely not the same.
It absolutely is. Both are pathogens entering the body through mucosal membranes, both can cause long term damage.
He claims to be so healthy, that he has antibodies for a disease that he’s never had before, so who’s to say he doesn’t magically have antibodies for syphilis as well, and doesn’t need to take precautions to avoid infection? An infection is an infection, regardless of how it enters your body.
🎯
Yeah, well, it’s not always about your selfish, egotistical, freedumb-loving, wannabe martyr ass.
Signed,
An immunocompromised 6-time COVID sufferer who spent 10 days in the hospital last month when my latest case turned into pneumonia.
Jesus. We’re going on 5 years of this shit, with millions of deaths, and so many people are STILL trying to make a serious public health crisis all about themselves. Just STFU already.
i hate this for you. i’m so sorry you have to live in this dumbest of timelines.
I still just can’t with him.
Right? The definition of Jackass.
Wonder if he’ll say that to the face of the professional athletes like Jonathan Towes and others than can no longer do their sport because of long covid
Wow, you really talk about him in a positive light instead of underlining the words he said in the interview: I am selfish, entitled and above everyone else.
No amount of tennis skill can make up for his personality.
“Novak Djokovic… love him or hate him, he’s an exceptionally weird, charismatic and interesting man.”
Gross. He’s anti science and arrogant as hell. He not only shunned the vaccines but made it a point to mock the solutions provided. He put people’s lives in danger and he didn’t care one bit.
I turned on the Tennis Channel at the height of COVID and saw a tournament being played. Not a mask in sight — players, ball kids, people in the stands. I thought, “Are they playing an old classic match or something?” Nope. It was a tournament put on by Djokovic, putting all those people at risk. Then came the Insta photos of all of them partying later — and, yes, people did get COVID from all of that.
He’s an ass. Not a champion at all. THIS is why Federer and Nadal don’t like you, moron.
All Australia did was put him up in a hotel, give him a chance to argue his case, and then send him back home. After he broke a law everyone knew about and announced it to the world. If he had done this in many other countries he would have been in JAIL for years. It doesn’t matter how many trophies he wins, when he trots around the world, spreading infectious diseases with his unvaccinated self. It’s no surprise he gets sick after traveling.
“I am pro-freedom to choose what is right for you and your body. So when somebody takes away my right to choose what I should be taking for my body, I don’t think that’s correct.” What a f*cking self-centered idiot.
And let’s not forget that he carelessly slammed a ball in frustration — something Nadal and Federer would never do — which hit an umpire in the throat. He got kicked out of the US Open for that but argued that HE should be the exception to breaking that rule.
I’ve always found him to be a deeply unlikable person. While I don’t think that everyone of Serbian descent needs to disavow their heritage, he’s a proud nationalist for a country that made genocide a sport as big as tennis.
His “No-vax” attitude and public behavior was devoid of grace or class. Still is.
Thank you for bringing that up. I side-eye both him and his father.
I used to have empathy. The election results changed me.
I hope he suffers.
Great tennis player, asshat of a person. Can’t stand him, and not just bc of his covid stance.
I don’t follow tennis. But he sounds like the Aaron Rodgers of tennis. Great tennis player, shit human being with no thoughts of how he affects the lives around him. Aaron Rodgers is a hall of fame bound football player. Same issues, especially when it comes to COVID and vaccines.
Exactly. Good athlete, but uninformed, selfish, and stupid person.
Lots of healthy people died of covid, or survived with long term effects. And he clearly doesn’t understand any of the science of this, and frankly should keep quiet about things he doesn’t understand.
The world would be a lot better off if there was better science literacy in the general population.
THATS NOT HOW ANTIBODIES WORK.
You only have antibodies for a a virus or a bacteria or other foreign agent after you’ve had the infection and your body’s immune system has had a chance to fight it off with the creation of “new-to-you” antibodies. You don’t just have antibodies for something your body has never encountered. That’s why we’ve vaccinate people, to give your body the chance to create the antibodies without a severe infection that can kill you. Anyone who says, “I don’t need a vaccine because I’m healthy,” is stupid, and doesn’t know how vaccination works. They are also cowards for hiding their poor decision making behind anti-vaccine rhetoric, and they are selfish people who will get other people killed because they are unwilling to do their part in maintaining herd immunity.
Because of an initial shortage of vaccines, people who had previously gotten COVID only needed one at the beginning of the pandemic anyway!
People who are immunized are less likely to spread Covid, less likely to get a severe case and wind up in the ICU or dead, and they’re less likely to develop long Covid. Some people who had long Covid can shake the disease after being immunized, though this doesn’t work with everyone. In for example, South Africa, where they weren’t able to be immunized but had the disease first, the population was initially more devasted by the disease until the population acquired widespread immunity. It would be nice if people in public-facing jobs could spout scientific facts.
Next, the first word he thinks of with Skinner is skiing?? The other guys got traits instead of an activity.
He may be right that HE didn’t need the vaccine (although who can really know what undiagnosed underlying conditions or genetic anomalies at a given time one might have?) but OTHER people around him—his staff, his colleagues and competitors, countless service workers AND THEIR FAMILIES —in all odds may more susceptible to the virus and its complications that they could unwittingly spread.
Vaccines for contagions aren’t simply a bodily autonomy issue but a community health concern.
I can’t stand him
Let’s not forget there are photographs of this douche (and his father) socialising with Serbian ultra nationalist neo-Nazi figures.
I am a huge tennis fan (and player). I always felt a bit sorry for Novak, who was never as beloved as Rafa or Roger. Some of that was his own making, of course. He is very smart, speaks many languages fluently, has a lovely family. Definitely weird health practices and beliefs. But a monster of a player, when he was in top form he was almost unbeatable. I admire him for that.
Since Rafa won 14 French Opens and was Novak’s contemporary, very much not unbeatable. I was fairly neutral about Novak when he first appeared, but he has become more and more obnoxious as the years have gone on. I wish him a happy retirement.
Entitled selfish idiot. Can’t stand him.
Let’s not forget that at the time Novak Djokovic and his wife were the controlling shareholders (80%) in Danish biotech firm QuantBioRes, that was aiming to develop a treatment for Covid-19 (that did not involve vaccination) which failed to deliver, him being vaccinated would have had a significant financial impact.
So “body integrity” doesn’t apply to women in the reversal of Roe v. Wade? So only men can have “body integrity”? Gloria Steinem once said that if men could get pregnant, the right to an abortion would be in the Constitution. Oh, and Novak is a selfish prick.
He’s a horse’s ass who play tennis very well.