Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who was prevented from participating in the Australian Open last month because of his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, assured today that he is willing to miss other elite tournaments.

Havana, February 15 (RHC)-- Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who was prevented from participating in the Australian Open last month because of his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, assured today that he is willing to miss other elite tournaments.

Yes, that's the price I'm willing to pay, said the world number one tennis player when asked in an interview with the BBC if he was willing to sacrifice his participation in the Roland Garros in Paris and the Wimbledon in London.

The winner of 20 Grand Slam tournaments denied being a member of the anti-vaccine movement, but said he supported the right of people to be able to choose what they put into their bodies.

I have never been against vaccination because I understand that globally a great effort is being made to deal with this virus, added the athlete, who assured that he has an open mind about the possibility of receiving the anti-Covid-19 vaccine in the future.

Djokovic made world headlines last January after Australian authorities refused to accept his medical exemption to not be vaccinated against the coronavirus because he had already suffered from the disease.

Although the organizers of the first Grand Slam of the year gave him permission to compete, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke refused to accept the medical waiver and ordered his deportation after holding him in a hotel for days during the legal process.

In the interview broadcast Tuesday by the BBC, the Serbian tennis player assured that he was not deported from Australia for not being vaccinated, nor for violating the rules, but because the authorities considered that he could generate some anti-vaccine sentiment in the country or in the host city of the tournament.

Djokovic has nine Australian Open crowns to his credit, including three in a row, and a total of 20 Grand Slam trophies, one less than Spain's Rafael Nadal, who eventually won the title in Melbourne.