‘Not My Place to Evaluate’- Novak Djokovic Opens Up About the Loss of Sponsors Caused by His Anti Vaccine Stance

Published 05/21/2022, 2:29 PM EDT

The 2022 ATP season started on a very odd tune for 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Due to his disagreement with the rules related to vaccination imposed by the regulatory bodies of tournaments such as the Australian Open, he was forced to sit out of the court for quite some time.

Now that the tennis world is returning to normalcy, Djokovic is also getting chances to participate in tours. However, he is still suffering from the consequences that followed his decisions. In addition to the backlash from tennis fans, Djokovic lost many sponsors. While speaking to the press two days prior to the French Open, the Serb addressed the same.

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Novak Djokovic About Losing Sponsorships

Recently, sponsors such as Peugeot and the technology firm UKG declared to not renew the contract with Djokovic, thus making the media demand reaction from the legend. “There are things I cannot talk about before public statements are made,” Djokovic replied.

Thereafter, the World No.1 thanked the brands who chose to stay by his side.

“My main sponsors stayed with me and I am grateful for it, but some sponsors I no longer have. That is all that I can say. It is not my place to evaluate whether somebody should have stayed with me or left me.” Lacoste, Head and ASICS are one of the major sponsors of Serbian star who are still using his face for their company’s representation.

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Djokovic has always been open in expressing his thoughts

Speaking about vocalizing his thoughts on matters which have a high chance of backfiring, Novak mentioned, “I like to speak about it, although people in my team always warn me that I should speak less on sensitive topics.”

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“I like to take the players’ side, which is logical, since I am also a player. Maybe sometimes I go in-depth more than I should,” the Serb added. Recently, Djokovic, along with players like Nadal openly denounced the recent ban imposed by Wimbledon on the Russian and Belarusian players as several Ukrainian players spoke in favor and accused those who condemned the action of being insensitive.

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Further, 34-year-old is the defending champion at the French Open and will lock horns with the 26-year-old Japanese tennis ace Yoshihito Nishioka on Monday in the first round at Roland Garros.

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Mahima Verma is a Tennis writer for EssentiallySports. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Hotel Management from IHM Mumbai. A sports enthusiast, particularly Tennis since her childhood, Mahima believes that she is fortunate enough to witness the legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams play.

‘Not My Place to Evaluate’- Novak Djokovic Opens Up About the Loss of Sponsors Caused by His Anti Vaccine Stance

Novak Djokovic About Losing Sponsorships

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Djokovic has always been open in expressing his thoughts