Djokovic 'won't be the best player without a jab' says Rudsetski

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Greg Rusedski warned anti-vax tennis icon, Novak Djokovic, that his hopes of going down as the greatest tennis player in history will be dashed if he refuses to change his mind on vaccination. The former tennis player, who finished runner-up at the US Open in 1997, said there’s little room for manoeuvre on the vaccine front in countries like France and the USA where the next Grand Slam are staged. Mr Djokovic was deported from Australia and subsequently disqualified from taking part at the country’s famous Australian Open Grand Slam after losing an appeal against his visa cancellation following months in which he had played coy with his vaccination status ahead of touching down at Melbourne Airport earlier this month.

And Mr Rusedski, who was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1997, said that more trouble could beckon if the Serb does not go back on his beliefs.

And if Mr Djokovic is still averse to the idea by the time Roland Garros and the US Open kick-off in May and June respectively, he will be unable to add to his glorious trophy cabinet and may have to wave farewell to his dreams of “creating history”.

In an interview with Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley, Canadian-born British tennis player Mr Rusedski stressed that even if Mr Djokovic had been cleared to play, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev would have battled it out among themselves to win the Australian Open as they are a cut above the Serb right now.

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He said: “Well this week coming up at the Australian Open it was Zverev and Medvedev, he was not the number one player on the planet!

“Even though he was by far the best player on the planet last year.

“So, all these things were coming into place and whether he’s going to stand up for what he believes.

“So from my point of view if he doesn’t get vaccinated he will not be the best player on the planet anymore and he will not be able to create history.”

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It was Mr Madeley’s turn to warn last year’s Australian Open winner that his career is at stake if he doesn’t perform a U-turn.

He said that if Mr Djokovic does not get jabbed he may be refused to play at the Roland Garros in Paris and at the US Open in New York as France and America are unlikely to compromise with their rules and grand him an exemption just to let him play.

In France people will be banned from restaurants, cafes, cinemas and sporting events as vaccine passports are required to enter

He said:“I have just travelled to the US and you have to have proof that you have been double, at least double jabbed.

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“Then there is the Miami Open a couple of weeks later, same US rules would apply.

“You mention the French Open and in France they have just passed the law that says you have to show vaccination proof to go into a restaurant or into a sports event.

“So basically, his career this year could be sort of semi-over if he doesn’t get double-jabbed.”

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