Anti-vaxxer Djokovic claims he’d hold disastrous Adria Tour AGAIN and feels no guilt about players catching coronavirus
ANTI-VAXXER Novak Djokovic says he would hold the disastrous Adria Tour AGAIN and feels no guilt about players catching coronavirus.
Djokovic was slammed for his decision to host the tournament in Serbia and Croatia throughout June.
Players ignored social-distancing rule, played basketball together and even danced topless in a nightclub.
But the ill-fated exhibition tournament came crashing to a halt after Djokovic, his wife Jelena and fellow pros Grigor Dimitrov, Viktor Troicki and Borna Coric tested positive for Covid-19.
Despite issuing a grovelling apology, the World No1 has now insisted the backlash he received was like a "witch hunt" against him.
Djokovic told : "Whether it's fair or not, you tell me, but I know that the intentions were right and correct, and if I had the chance to do the Adria Tour again, I would do it again.
"I don't think I've done anything bad to be honest. I do feel sorry for people that were infected.
"Do I feel guilty for anybody that was infected from that point onward in Serbia, Croatia and the region? Of course not.
"It's like a witch hunt, to be honest. How can you blame one individual for everything?"
Djokovic in April said he was an anti-vaxxer, explaining he would not take compulsory vaccination for coronavirus if required.
But the Serbian attempted to clarify his stance on the matter and revealed he is not against ALL vaccinations.
Djokovic explained: "I see that the international media has taken that out of context a little bit, saying that I am completely against vaccines of any kind.
He added: "My issue here with vaccines is if someone is forcing me to put something in my body. That I don't want. For me that's unacceptable.
"I am not against vaccination of any kind, because who am I to speak about vaccines when there are people that have been in the field of medicine and saving lives around the world?
"I'm sure that there are vaccines that have little side effects that have helped people and helped stop the spread of some infections around the world."
Djokovic confirmed this month he will play in the US Open.
He will travel to New York this month to play in the rearranged Western & Southern Open and then the hard-court Slam at Flushing Meadows.
The 33-year-old has been practising in Puente Romano in Marbella for the first major to take place post-global lockdown.
And with Spaniard Rafael Nadal choosing not to play and Swiss superstar Roger Federer sidelined through injury, he will fancy his chances of winning a fourth US Open title.