“Novak Djokovic was written up as some sort of a demon” - American journalist recalls backlash faced by Serb for stance on COVID-19 vaccine

American journalist and media personality Megyn Kelly has recalled the backlash Novak Djokovic faced in light of his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Djokovic's refusal to take the coronavirus vaccine has seen him miss several big tournaments, including the Australian Open and US Open last year, among others. He, however, had always maintained that he would rather miss out on possible trophies than be forced to take the vaccine.

This stance also earned him a lot of criticism from all corners, something talk show and podcaster Kelly believes was unwarranted.

“A lot of people, including yours truly, have had bad experiences with the vaccines. And I don’t need to look at it all over the place,” she said on her podcast earlier this month.

“[Djokovic] was totally vilified… for absolutely no purpose whatsoever. He was written up as some sort of a demon by many in the press, who thought how gross it was that this elite athlete, who didn’t know what consequences there might be to the vaccine, refused to get it,” she added.

The 52-year-old further said that while athletes were given the option to make a decision about the vaccine, they were condemned once they made their choice.

“We asked athletes, we asked people to make a decision but vilified them for the decision they made. So, it’s really not even an option… When you choose something that they don’t support, then they come after you,” she expressed.

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Novak Djokovic's 2023 season: A quick recap

Novak Djokovic has won five titles in 2023.

Novak Djokovic has had a very successful time on the ATP tour this year. He has a 46-5 win-loss record this season, with five titles to his name — three at Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, and US Open), the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, and the Adelaide International 1.

After his triumph at the New York Major, Djokovic turned his attention to international action, representing Serbia in the group stages of the Davis Cup. He beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-4 to confirm his country's qualification to the quarterfinals of the event.

The 36-year-old was also in doubles action, where he and Nikola Cacic were beaten 5-7, 7-6(10), 3-10 by Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek.

He was set to take part in the Shanghai Masters next, by decided to withdraw his name from the Masters 1000 tournament in the end. He is scheduled to next be in action at the Paris Masters, which will get underway on October 28.