"I admire Novak Djokovic so much but I can’t defend the choice to not get vaccinated" - Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova recently weighed in on the controversy surrounding Novak Djokovic's bid to defend his title at the 2022 Australian Open. The 34-year-old is yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19 which has caused a storm upon his arrival in Melbourne.

Despite a mandatory vaccination policy put in place by local authorities, the Serb came to Melbourne under "exemption permission." Upon his arrival in Victoria's capital, Australian authorities detained him and revoked his visa, a decision which was overturned by a federal court on Monday after Djokovic appealed the case.

Navratilova claimed the "saga" around Djokovic could have been avoided entirely if the Serb had been vaccinated. She added that despite her admiration for the World No. 1, she cannot defend his stance against getting vaccinated.

"It’s unbelievable - what a saga. It could have been avoided. I just wish Novak had taken that vaccination to begin with," she was quoted as saying by the Daily Express. "I admire him so much but I can’t defend the choice to not get vaccinated. You have to take one for the team. It’s getting crazier by the minute."

The former 18-time Grand Slam champion said Djokovic should get the jab, and that he needs to be more mindful of those around him.

"We’re in such close contact in the locker rooms. I couldn’t wait to get vaccinated. I admire Novak and I know what it takes to be that committed," Navratilova said. "I would be much more scared of getting sick from not being vaccinated than whatever side effects I might have from the vaccination. You really need to be more aware of everybody else."

Novak Djokovic applied for exemption due to a second COVID-19 infection in December

Djokovic at the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters

Novak Djokovic's potential participation at the 2022 Australian Open has created a storm in the tennis world. Australian authorities had canceled Djokovic's visa on grounds that he did not have "acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated."

However, on Monday, a federal court in Melbourne ruled in the Serb's favor, instructing the Australian Ministry of Home Affairs to release him from detention.

During the course of the hearing, the 34-year-old officially revealed that the reason he applied for the medical exemption was that he contracted COVID-19 for a second time on December 16, 2021. He also went on record for the first time to state that he is unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Reports suggest that the Serb could still be deported from the country as the Minister of Immigration holds the power to cancel his visa under Section 133C(3) of the Immigration Act.