Tennis fans troll Novak Djokovic on Twitter after Rafael Nadal wins Australian Open 2022

Rafael Nadal emerged as the champion of the 2022 Australian Open after defeating Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller on Sunday. Novak Djokovic was unable to defend his title in Melbourne as he was deported from Australia due to being unvaccinated.

Many tennis fans took to Twitter to troll Djokovic for his stance on vaccination. While some hailed Nadal for taking the jab and winning the Major, others claimed that Djokovic should inoculate himself in order to feature in the year's remaining Slams.

Twitter user Spacho depicted through a GIF Djokovic's desperation to be vaccinated now that the Spaniard is ahead of him in the Grand Slam race.

Another Twitter user, AI B, posted a short video of Djokovic supposedly yelling, "Why oh why didn't I take the vaccine?" after watching the Spaniard's victory in Melbourne.

Interestingly, Pune (a city in India) Police used a picture of Nadal and Djokovic to spread awareness about vaccination. They incorporated the hashtag 'Novaccinenotrophy' in their Twitter post, indicating that the Serb needs to be vaccinated in order to win more trophies in the future.

Twitter user Edward Hardy also took a jibe at the Serb, stating that while Nadal "became the most successful man in tennis history," Djokovic watched the final at home because he refused to take the vaccine.

Twitter user Sagar emphasized that only a "vaccinated player could become the first player to win 21 Grand Slams."

Another Twitter user, Trendulkar, posted a screenshot of the men with the most Grand Slams, showing Nadal's name at the top. Remarking that "vaccination helps," he hinted that if Djokovic wants his name at the top, he needs to get vaccinated.

A.J. incorporated Djokovic's face into a popular meme that portrayed him as despondant after watching Nadal reach 21 Majors. He also sarcastically suggested that the World No. 1 should take the vaccine along with his soda.

Novak Djokovic to begin 2022 season at the Dubai Tennis Championship

Novak Djokovic at the Davis Cup Finals in 2021

Djokovic will kick off his 2022 season at the Dubai Tennis Championship after last playing a professional match at the Davis Cup Finals in 2021.

The Dubai Tennis Championship is an ATP 500 event that will take place from February 21-26 on outdoor hardcourts. Along with the Serb, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, and Felix Auger-Aliassime will headline the event.

Djokovic will be eyeing a sixth title in Dubai this year, a tournament he last won in 2020.