Novak Djokovic refuses to say whether he has taken a COVID-19 vaccine, and says it is ‘inappropriate’ to ask him

• Novak Djokovic has refused to reveal if he is vaccinated against COVID or not, saying it is "inappropriate" to ask.
• If he is unvaccinated he will likely miss the Australian Open as the country won't grant visas to anyone not jabbed.
• COVID "doesn't care what your tennis ranking is," a senior politician said this week.

Men's world number one Novak Djokovic has refused to say whether he is vaccinated or not and risks not being able to compete at the Australian Open.

Speaking to Serbian newspaper Blic, Djokovic said asking him was an "inappropriate inquiry."

"I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not, it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.

"People go too far these days in taking the liberty to ask questions and judge a person. Whatever you say 'Yes, no, maybe, I am thinking about it', they will take advantage."

Djokovic has previously said that he would not be forced to take a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines have been shown over and over to be safe and effective. The shots lower the risk of hospitalization and death 25-fold, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If Djokovic has not been vaccinated, his place at the Australian Open is under threat with the country refusing to grant special visas to non-vaccinated athletes.

The Serbian said: "Things being as they are, I still don't know if I will go to Melbourne."

The Victoria premier, Daniel Andrews, said he did not think any unvaccinated sports person would be able to get in.

"I don't think an unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country and if they did get a visa they'd probably have to quarantine for a couple of weeks," Andrews said, as reported by the Guardian.

"I don't think that the person you indicated [Djokovic] or any other tennis player, let's not personalize it, or golfer or Formula One driver, will even get a visa to get here. If I'm wrong I'm sure the federal government will let you know.

"[COVID] doesn't care what your tennis ranking is, or how many grand slams you've won. It's completely irrelevant. You need to be vaccinated to keep yourself safe and to keep others safe."

Djokovic is the most successful men's player in the tournament's history having won the Grand Slam a record nine times.

While he has not confirmed whether or not he has been vaccinated, last year he said he did not want to put something in his body that someone had forced him to.

"My issue here with vaccines is if someone is forcing me to put something in my body. That I don't want. For me that's unacceptable," Djokovic said in an interview with the New York Times in August 2020.

The Australian Open is set to begin on February 8.