« What inspires you about this case?
I cannot conceive that Novak Djokovic is considered a martyr because he was prevented from playing tennis, whereas in this story there are many doubts that make me say about these past and future actions: ‘Is he’s telling the truth?’ Doubt didn’t benefit Novak today… I can’t help but tell myself that it’s fantastic to contract Covid on December 16, which allows him to have this famous exemption. I would have liked in this whole story that there was a lifting of doubts, that we could check with a Covid serology, etc.
Has Djokovic lost a lot?
Djokovic poses as the Don Quixote of modern tennis, and I say beware. He wants to be the spokesperson for all players by creating the PTPA (Professional Tennis Association). I’ve been saying for years that tennis needs better representation because the ATP isn’t doing its job with the players. The PTPA, very good. Yes, Novak wants to help players. Now, we have to do it with good intentions, hide nothing and above all lead by example. If you want to be a leader, you have to be exemplary. And you can’t be the ‘self-proclaimed’ leader and say, ‘I don’t want to get vaccinated’, ignoring the pandemic and the laws that have been enforced. It would be interesting to know what his sponsors think about it. Are you Lacoste or LVMH, how do they react to a player who does not want to be vaccinated?
“It gets people talking about tennis, yes, on CNN and all the world channels, but without mentioning the court. And it’s damaging to the sport.”
How do you see the sequel?
What happened there is very harmful to tennis. It gets people talking about tennis, yes, on CNN and all the world channels, but without mentioning the court. And it’s bad for the sport. And Roland-Garros will soon arrive. While the government is fighting to put in place the vaccination pass, it is said that for this tournament, Novak Djokovic will be able to play (while being subject to a strict bubble) without being vaccinated. What message are we sending here? I dare to hope that the health situation will improve. Otherwise, one can legitimately ask the question…”
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