Novak Djokovic's Vaccine Stance & Visa Troubles

[Moxie]

...and people say I'm obsessed! Please get a life!

This is a tennis forum, so it's fair to say we're all obsessed with tennis. And Novak is one of its top stars. And a currently besieged one, at that. I'm not sure why this isn't worth discussing.

 

[Fiero425]

Where are your fellow Djokovic fans, why did they disappear?

What's to talk about? As I said, Nole won't even be on the court for over a month! You can talk Rafa even if injured & off the tour; not my speed!

 

[Moxie]

What's to talk about? As I said, Nole won't even be on the court for over a month! You can talk Rafa even if injured & off the tour; not my speed!

And yet, here you are talking about it. And you even linked us to your Novak blog, so surely you're finding something to say.

 

[don_fabio]

Thank you ladies @MargaretMcAleer and @Moxie for your kind words

Yeah I'm a bit busy lately and internet is not good at times. Anyway, it's interesting all this that is happening with Novak. I always had a feeling that getting the trophies for him was above everything, but he proved me wrong on how he decided to stick with no vaccination and push it regardless of how it will affect his career. He is clearly wasting his opportunities in the GOAT race, but on the other hand he stands by his decisions and is not willing to change them despite how much it could cost him. I give him respect for that. Is it wise to go that way, I have doubts and I would say no as many would, but it is his choice and we all have to accept it. Mouratouglu just released some video backing Novak's decisions, I guess he likes him.

In general, for us tennis fans it would be good if Novak will be allowed to compete at least whole european clay and grass season. I saw that french will ease their restrictions. Although at the moment where Novak is mentally (which affects every player's game a lot) and with lack of match play, I don't give him much chance in the possible quest for defending the RG. Nadal is flying high in confidence and is the best player at the moment. It will be extremely hard to steal RG from him this year.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Thank you ladies @MargaretMcAleer and @Moxie for your kind words

Yeah I'm a bit busy lately and internet is not good at times. Anyway, it's interesting all this that is happening with Novak. I always had a feeling that getting the trophies for him was above everything, but he proved me wrong on how he decided to stick with no vaccination and push it regardless of how it will affect his career. He is clearly wasting his opportunities in the GOAT race, but on the other hand he stands by his decisions and is not willing to change them despite how much it could cost him. I give him respect for that. Is it wise to go that way, I have doubts and I would say no as many would, but it is his choice and we all have to accept it. Mouratouglu just released some video backing Novak's decisions, I guess he likes him.

In general, for us tennis fans it would be good if Novak will be allowed to compete at least whole european clay and grass season. I saw that french will ease their restrictions. Although at the moment where Novak is mentally (which affects every player's game a lot) and with lack of match play, I don't give him much chance in the possible quest for defending the RG. Nadal is flying high in confidence and is the best player at the moment. It will be extremely hard to steal RG from him this year.

Hi Don,

What are your feelings about Marian Vjada leaving him as coach,the way he was talking it seems it will be for good this time

 

[don_fabio]

Hi Don,

What are your feelings about Marian Vjada leaving him as coach,the way he was talking it seems it will be for good this time

I just read it. I would prefer they did not split, even more so due to all this uncertainty surrounding Novak on where he will be allowed to play. I'd prefer they stayed together and worked something out. I know Marian has a family and wants to spend as much time as possible with them. I think Novak has always worked best with him, they are really good friends after all these years so for sure Vajda will be missed in his team. It could be that this is the end of their journey together which is kind of sad considering what they achieved along the way and that Novak is not close to retirement.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I just read it. I would prefer they did not split, even more so due to all this uncertainty surrounding Novak on where he will be allowed to play. I'd prefer they stayed together and worked something out. I know Marian has a family and wants to spend as much time as possible with them. I think Novak has always worked best with him, they are really good friends after all these years so for sure Vajda will be missed in his team. It could be that this is the end of their journey together which is kind of sad considering what they achieved along the way and that Novak is not close to retirement.

I agree they shared a great partnership both on and off the court,Novak said he was like 'family'...I have met Marian at Rome tournament and spoke to him at length he is a great guy and was very generous with his time with me.

 

[Moxie]

Thank you ladies @MargaretMcAleer and @Moxie for your kind words

Yeah I'm a bit busy lately and internet is not good at times. Anyway, it's interesting all this that is happening with Novak. I always had a feeling that getting the trophies for him was above everything, but he proved me wrong on how he decided to stick with no vaccination and push it regardless of how it will affect his career. He is clearly wasting his opportunities in the GOAT race, but on the other hand he stands by his decisions and is not willing to change them despite how much it could cost him. I give him respect for that. Is it wise to go that way, I have doubts and I would say no as many would, but it is his choice and we all have to accept it. Mouratouglu just released some video backing Novak's decisions, I guess he likes him.

In general, for us tennis fans it would be good if Novak will be allowed to compete at least whole european clay and grass season. I saw that french will ease their restrictions. Although at the moment where Novak is mentally (which affects every player's game a lot) and with lack of match play, I don't give him much chance in the possible quest for defending the RG. Nadal is flying high in confidence and is the best player at the moment. It will be extremely hard to steal RG from him this year.

Good to hear from you, Don Fabio! I agree that it is good for tennis if Novak is going to manage to come back on the scene, despite his vaccination intractability. He may not quite have his legs under him for the clay season, and I won't pretend that I hope he doesn't, but he should be back by Wimbledon.

I think I've made my position clear here, but I don't find it especially admirable that Novak is giving up trophies and 'sticking to his principles,' as it were, with regard to the vaccination. Personally, I find his position privileged and selfish. Every other guy in the top 100, basically, is vaccinated, because those are the rules. Same as the rules they conform to about what they CAN'T ingest. I think Kieran's take is interesting on the AO: IF Novak had chosen to sit out, based on his anti-vaccination status, that would have been a strong stance. Instead, he chose to see if the rules would be bend in his favor (privilege,) and it ended up they wouldn't. After it came to an ugly stand-off in Australia, he chose, some weeks later, to make a hard stand on his feelings about vaccination. That starts to feel like stubbornness, and opportunism, as the pandemic is waning. If his principles were that strong, he'd have stood on them months ago.

 

[don_fabio]

I think Kieran's take is interesting on the AO: IF Novak had chosen to sit out, based on his anti-vaccination status, that would have been a strong stance. Instead, he chose to see if the rules would be bend in his favor (privilege,) and it ended up they wouldn't. After it came to an ugly stand-off in Australia, he chose, some weeks later, to make a hard stand on his feelings about vaccination. That starts to feel like stubbornness, and opportunism, as the pandemic is waning. If his principles were that strong, he'd have stood on them months ago.

I agree and also with a bolded part. It would be much better for him if he avoided debacle in AO and trying to bend the rules. It all worked totally against him.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Don Fabio,

I was interested to hear that Marian was against Novak going to the Olympics last year,he knew mentally and physically he was not in a good place,I have to agree with him.

 

[don_fabio]

Don Fabio,

I was interested to hear that Marian was against Novak going to the Olympics last year,he knew mentally and physically he was not in a good place,I have to agree with him.

Didn't know this. Good info. We discussed it here, some of us were against him going there too due to above mentioned reasons.

 

[Fiero425]

Don Fabio,

I was interested to hear that Marian was against Novak going to the Olympics last year. He knew mentally and physically he was not in a good place; I have to agree with him.

It was the worst decision of the season! It just wasn't worth it! Nole didn't want to look back in regret if he won the CYGS & hadn't gone to Tokyo!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

It was the worst decision of the season! It just wasn't worth it! Nole didn't want to look back in regret if he won the CYGS & hadn't gone to Tokyo!

Hindsight is a wonderful tool to have,we have all made mistakes and as long as we learn from them,all is good.

 

[rafanoy1992]

I just read it. I would prefer they did not split, even more so due to all this uncertainty surrounding Novak on where he will be allowed to play. I'd prefer they stayed together and worked something out. I know Marian has a family and wants to spend as much time as possible with them. I think Novak has always worked best with him, they are really good friends after all these years so for sure Vajda will be missed in his team. It could be that this is the end of their journey together which is kind of sad considering what they achieved along the way and that Novak is not close to retirement.

Welcome back, Don Fabio!

The biggest thing that Djokovic will miss about Vajda is probably the calmness or peace of mind he instilled to Djokovic. Djokovic is still a great player and a smart tennis player, so from a technical standpoint, he will still do well even at age 35. However, I am curious to see on how Djokovic will handle the mental pressure not just the vaccination status/pandemic, but also the wanting the most GS titles, playing at a high level and winning titles.

With Vajda being out, does Goran have the ability to give calmness to Djokovic especially at this stage of Djokovic's career?

It will be interesting on how it pans out...

 

[Moxie]

Didn't know this. Good info. We discussed it here, some of us were against him going there too due to above mentioned reasons.

We did discuss it here. I didn't know Vajda was against him going to the Olympics, but I seem to remember even Novak's father was against it. Water under the bridge, but it was clear that Novak spent too much emotional capital to get over the hump, in the end.

 

[Fiero425]

Hindsight is a wonderful tool to have,we have all made mistakes and as long as we learn from them,all is good.

What reason would he have he couldn't do it? At 35 he was still the toughest out, even on the clay of Roland Garros! I had no doubt he'd come back in his match against Stefanos, but it was almost predictable he wasn't up to the challenge of beating Daniil in New York! He was the only one I worried about and hoped someone would upset him before the final! I know players limitations even if a fanatic! I was one who thought he should skip Olympics, but he thought he could get thru it unscathed! He was wrong! It almost ruined his entire 2nd half of the season close to losing out on the YE #1!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

What reason would he have he couldn't do it? At 35 he was still the toughest out, even on the clay of Roland Garros! I had no doubt he'd come back in his match against Stefanos, but it was almost predictable he wasn't up to the challenge of beating Daniil in New York! He was the only one I worried about and hoped someone would upset him before the final! I know players limitations even if a fanatic! I was one who thought he should skip Olympics, but he thought he could get thru it unscathed! He was wrong! It almost ruined his entire 2nd half of the season close to losing out on the YE #1!

Even the toughest players on the tour have their limits,remember they are not 'machines'....I think everyone knew he was not going to defeat Medvedev at the USO,the mental pressure he was under again,which was understandable,he was far too emotional.
Anyway let us live in the present he has a chance now to defend RF and Wimbledon this year.Did you see the latest poster for RG? it has Tsitispas on the poster

 

[Fiero425]

Even the toughest players on the tour have their limits,remember they are not 'machines'....I think everyone knew he was not going to defeat Medvedev at the USO,the mental pressure he was under again,which was understandable,he was far too emotional.
Anyway let us live in the present he has a chance now to defend RF and Wimbledon this year.Did you see the latest poster for RG? it has Tsitispas on the poster

Wishful thinking! I don't think Stefanos has a chance to get back to the final; even with the watered-down field! He's winless even @ 250/500's!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Wishful thinking! I don't think Stefanos has a chance to get back to the final; even with the watered-down field! He's winless even @ 250/500's!

Hang on he just won his First WTA500 in doubles with Feli in Mexico he is on the Up and Up lol!

 

[don_fabio]

Welcome back, Don Fabio!

The biggest thing that Djokovic will miss about Vajda is probably the calmness or peace of mind he instilled to Djokovic. Djokovic is still a great player and a smart tennis player, so from a technical standpoint, he will still do well even at age 35. However, I am curious to see on how Djokovic will handle the mental pressure not just the vaccination status/pandemic, but also the wanting the most GS titles, playing at a high level and winning titles.

With Vajda being out, does Goran have the ability to give calmness to Djokovic especially at this stage of Djokovic's career?

It will be interesting on how it pans out...

Goran will probably not be able to give him calmness and piece of mind as Vajda. Goran himself is crazy in his own way

How will Novak handle mental pressure in his last phase of the career, let's say next 5 years? It has to become worse at some point. He raised bar extremely high and with age he will have more moments when he crumbles under pressure and will have to accept more losses than what he is currently used to. It will be interesting to see, once he starts losing more of the semis and finals of the slams, how will that affect him.

I believe I mentioned last year that repeating 3 slams sweep in a calendar year is not going to happen and that I will personally be happy if he wins 1 slam this year and anything else would be a huge bonus. He needs to stay on top of his game this year somehow knowing that he will lose tremendous amount of points and being able to play effectively just for a couple of months. It is a tough task, he could drop in rankings significantly, somewhere in top 20 range I would guess. Then 2023 season comes and I don't even know if he will be allowed to play AO. He needs a fresh start next year with Covid-19 measures finished, but no one can tell if that is going to be the case.