Tennis idol Boris Becker has defended his former protégé Novak Djokovic in view of the ongoing criticism. However, Becker does not think it is good that the world number one is not vaccinated.
The German tennis star Boris Becker talks about his former student Novak Djokovic. This is not allowed to enter Australia. Becker told the “Bild-Zeitung”: “You have to respect your decision. Just because you don’t get vaccinated, you are not automatically a bad person.”
Djokovic was refused entry to Australia on Wednesday evening (local time) because he was unable to provide the necessary documents for a controversial medical exemption. Since then he has been staying in a hotel for people obliged to leave the country. That hurts Becker “in the soul”, as the former Wimbledon champion said: “Of course everyone is equal before the law, but he doesn’t deserve the way he is dealt with at the moment.”
Becker: “After all, he’s not an idiot”
The court in Melbourne wants to decide on Monday morning (10 a.m. / 12 a.m. CET) whether Djokovic has to leave the country or stay and participate in the Australian Open, which begins on January 17th. A positive corona test from December 2021 should apparently help him to participate in the tournament.
Becker does not believe that Djokovic acted negligently. “He flew to Australia in good faith that he had a valid entry permit. If the papers he received hadn’t been in order, Novak would never have got on the plane. After all, he’s not an idiot.”