Novak Djokovic’s angry wife Jelena gets into UGLY online fight over his anti-vaxxer beliefs after Serb won his seventh Wimbledon title
Fresh off celebrating husband Novak Djokovic’s win in the Wimbledon final, Jelena Djokovic has become embroiled in an online slanging match after prominent tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg called her husband an ‘anti-vax poster boy.’
Djokovic has been one of the world’s most high-profile Covid-19 vaccination resisters, and was deported from Australia ahead of the Open in January when the federal government decided he could stoke ‘anti-vaccine sentiment’.
After Djokovic’s win in the Wimbledon men’s final, Rothenberg asked him whether he would get vaccinated soon in order to compete in the US Open in August.
Novak Djokovic and wife Jelena at the Wimbledon Champions dinner on July 10
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Novak Djokovic and wife Jelena at the Wimbledon Champions dinner on July 10
Excuse me. Just making sure that it is noted that YOU tagged him as antivax poster boy for whatever reason you have. He simply responded what HIS body choice is.
— Jelena Djokovic (@jelenadjokovic) July 10, 2022
‘You do still have time to get vaccinated before New York to make it in time for the US. Is that something you’ve completely closed your mind to as an option going forward?’ asked Rothenberg in the post-match press conference.
Djokovic’s reply was strong and succinct: ‘Yes.’
Rothenberg then took to Twitter to label the star Serb an ‘anti-vax poster boy’ who has played in his last Grand Slam for the year, unless there is a ‘swift change in US immigration law’.
Novak Djokovic (centre) kisses wife Jelena Djokovic after winning the Wimbledon final
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Novak Djokovic (centre) kisses wife Jelena Djokovic after winning the Wimbledon final
Jelena didn’t take too kindly Rothenberg’s description of her husband and kicked off the very public online stoush by taking issue with the description.
‘Excuse me. Just making sure that it is noted that YOU tagged him as antivax poster boy for whatever reason you have. He simply responded what HIS body choice is,’ she wrote in reply.
Djokovic has previously said he would rather give up the chance to compete for trophies than get vaccinated – something Rothenberg pointed to when describing why he was, in fact, an ‘anti-vax poster boy.’.
Novak Djokovic hits from the baseline during his four-set win over Nick Kyrgios in the final
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Novak Djokovic hits from the baseline during his four-set win over Nick Kyrgios in the final
‘I understand that it’s his choice, but I also am saying th