Wimbledon 2022: Novak Djokovic anti-vax debate reignited as wife Jelena feuds with Ben Rothenberg

Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon triumph may be the end of his grand slam glory in 2022 - as the star’s vaccination status reared its ugly head in an ugly Twitter spat after his victory.

Drew Pavlou was kicked out of the Wimbledon final.

Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic has opened up on the prolonged mental anguish he suffered after being deported from Australia this year but says he still has no plans to get vaccinated against Covid-19 even if it means being sidelined from grand slam tennis for another 11 months.

With his four-set win over Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in Sunday’s Wimbledon final, Djokovic now has 21 grand slam titles, just one behind Rafa Nadal as the all-time leading male player.

But as things stand, he will be barred from next month’s US Open unless the US changes its rules to allow in unvaccinated foreigners.

“I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated,” Djokovic said.

“So the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter the United States.

“I don’t think exemption is realistically possible.”

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Jelena Djokovic, wife of Wimbledon champion Novak, jumped to her husband’s defence on Twitter after the match. Picture: Getty

Djokovic’s wife Jelena defended her husband on social media, locking horns in a Twitter debate with tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg - who has been a pointed critic of the Serbian star’s vaccination stance.

“Just making sure that it is noted that YOU tagged him as antivax poster boy for whatever reason you have. He simply responded what HIS body choice is,” she replied to a post where Rothenberg questioned Djokovic’s US Open availability and labelled him the ‘anti-vax posterboy’.

“You are creating a very judgmental narrative that fits your agenda. He is simply choosing what’s best for his body. If he is not playing because of making that choice, he is fine with it.

“I hope you don’t get judged for (your beliefs). Or become a poster boy for hatred and bullying. You never know.

“You are also influential figure, please don’t continuously disappoint. Unless that’s your role.”

Excuse me. Just making sure that it is noted that YOU tagged him as antivax poster boy for whatever reason you have. He simply responded what HIS body choice is.

— Jelena Djokovic (@jelenadjokovic) July 10, 2022

You are creating a very judgmental narrative that fits your agenda. He is simply choosing what’s best for his body. If he is not playing because of making that choice, he is fine with it.

— Jelena Djokovic (@jelenadjokovic) July 10, 2022

Thank you for sharing your beliefs. I hope you don’t get judged for them. Or become a poster boy for hatred and bullying. You never know.

You are also influential figure, please don’t continuously disappoint. Unless that’s your role.

— Jelena Djokovic (@jelenadjokovic) July 10, 2022

Djokovic is also in danger of missing next year’s Australian Open after receiving a three-year ban from returning to the country when he was deported from Melbourne in January.

With the change in government there is a possibility that could be lifted, but if not he may have to wait until the French Open in June 2023.

Djokovic has already won the Australian Open a record nine times and says he would love the chance to try and win a 10th despite the humiliating way he was treated in January.

“Australia, probably, is the place where I feel most comfortable because of my record there,” he said.

“That’s the court where I would probably like to play, if I have to pick one match or one court, it would be there.”

When will Novak Djokovic’s next grand slam match take place? Picture: Getty

Djokovic also opened up on the deep impact his deportation from Australia had on him, revealing just how much it affected his mental state.

“Emotionally, I was not at a good place,” he said.

“I just felt so much pressure and emotions happening. I wasn’t feeling myself on the court and I realised at that point that it’s going to take some time, that I have to be patient.

“Not to go into too much detail, everything that has followed Australia, particularly in tournaments, has been a huge challenge and obstacle for me to overcome emotionally.

“Once I left Australia, I left that behind me. I was ready to move on but it wasn’t that easy to close that chapter because I had the media reminding me of that.

“That has caused turbulence inside of me. I just needed time to weather the storm.

“At one point I realised it’s just going to take time for me to regroup and to get into an optimal balanced state on the court and off the court.

“It’s not one of these things you can switch off and basically pretend that it’s not happening.”

Djokovic was deported from Australia in January this year, and faces a three-year ban from returning to the country. Picture: AAP

Djkovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic said he was so worried about his mental state after his expulsion from Australia that he thought the champion Serb may never come back as the same player.

“This was a huge thing what happened to him.,” Ivanisevic said.

“We all expected that after a couple of weeks he’d forget about Australia and go back and practice but didn’t happen like this, it took a long time.

“For some people, they don’t recover. They will never play tennis. This was a big shock. It was a shock for me, and I was there. I was free. Imagine for him.

“How he got through that, it’s really heroic because it was not easy to digest everything and come back to play tennis

People like him, you don’t doubt. He’s a great champion but it took him a long time…he just needed to find the peace.”

‘SMASHED MY HEAD’: AUSSIE’S ANGER AFTER WIMBLEDON EVICTION

Nick Kyrgios wasn’t the only Australian trying to steal the spotlight in the Wimbledon men’s final – with a notorious protester sensationally kicked out of the event for shouting ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ in the middle of a point.

The mystery surrounding China’s Peng Shuai, the former Wimbledon doubles champion who last year alleged she was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party member and has since vanished from the public eye.

Her plight drew widespread media coverage during this year’s Australian Open, with protesters wearing ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ t-shirts raising the awareness of her situation – and players also expressing their concerns about her whereabouts.

The fan called out during the fourth set. Picture: Getty Images

Kyrgios insisted he wasn’t distracted by the commotion, midway through his four-set defeat in his maiden grand slam final, which led to Australian student and vocal critic of China Drew Pavlou being removed from Centre Court.

“I didn’t get distracted at all from it. I did notice it – but that doesn’t mean I got distracted from it,” Kyrgios said after the match.

Wimbledon security crash tackled me over a row of seats for trying to silently hold up a #WhereIsPengShuai sign. Security guard in the floral blue shirt then pushed me head first down the stairs and smashed my head into wall while twisting my arms behind my back pic.twitter.com/yVk6IgEU9n

— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 10, 2022

“I just saw a couple of people on each other and they just got taken out. I didn’t see. But I like you were trying to bait me, I like that. Good try.”

Pavlou claimed he then was “crash tackled” and “thrown down the stairs” by security.

“Wimbledon security crash tackled me over a row of seats for trying to silently hold up a #WhereIsPengShuai sign,” Pavlou tweeted.

“Security guard in the floral blue shirt then pushed me head first down the stairs and smashed my head into wall while twisting my arms behind my back.

“All this for simply trying to raise awareness for a former Wimbledon champion silenced by the Chinese government for speaking out against rape.”

Pavlou has been a vocal critic of China’s human rights policies, relating to Tibet, Hong Kong and Uighur Muslims, and was recently arrested for holding an anti-Communist Party rally in Eastwood in Sydney’s west.

Originally published as Wimbledon 2022: Novak Djokovic anti-vax debate reignited as wife Jelena feuds with Ben Rothenberg