Djokovic: Australians made me "villain of the world"

In comments that will do little to help with his popularity in Australia, Novak Djokovic claims he was made “villain of the world” when he was deported in 2022.

The 24-time grand slam champion was detained on arrival for the Australian Open after refusing to get the Covid 19 vaccination which was in breach of entry regulations at the time.

In a documentary set to air on Amazon Prime later this week, Djokovic claims the entire debacle was “all political” as he lifts the lid on how the experience impacted him.

“I was made villain more than I ever have before in tennis circles,’’ he said in the Prime documentary Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter.

“Now I was a villain of the world.’

“Later on I find out there’s another two people — one was a player, one was a coach — that entered the country based on the same medical exemption.

“So it was all political.

“It had nothing to do with medical, it has nothing to do with anything. It was just political. I never said I’m against vaccine or pro-vaccine.

“Even the anti-vax movement claimed that I’m their hero and, you know, I’ve never associated myself with any anti-vax, pro-vax or anything.

“I’m pro-freedom to choose what you are going to do with the integrity of your body.’’

At the time of being booted from Australia, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said his presence could cause “civil unrest” amid significant backlash to social media posts from Djokovic announcing his impending arrival despite being openly anti-vax.

At a time when Australian citizens were banned from attending funerals, seeing loved ones and limited to how far they could move from their homes, Djokovic’s arrival and the narrative around it was regarded by many as a slap in the face.

Despite the heartache and mental demons his incarceration and subsequent deportation caused, Djokovic now says he understands why people reacted the way they did. But maintains he is not to blame.

“Australia was one of the countries that had biggest lockdown,’’ he said.

“They didn’t want someone of a profile like myself, who is known in that country and everyone knowing that I’m not vaccinated, coming in their country, playing a tournament, staying for a month or whatever, and then leaving, where people from Australia were not able to come back home, were not allowed.

“So, to some extent I do understand that they felt that pressure, but it was not my fault."