Perhaps Novak Djokovic’s greatest foe on a tennis court, Rafael Nadal, has pulled off an astounding backflip amid his rival’s visa battle.
Nadal last week hit Djokovic with a blunt message, saying “he knew the conditions since a lot of months ago” and “there are some consequences” to not getting his COVID-19 vaccinations.
But the former world No.1, who’s locked on a record 20 single Grand Slam titles with Djokovic and Roger Federer, has now voiced a dramatically different view on the fiasco.
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Nadal’s change of opinion comes after Djokovic was successful in challenging the Australian government’s cancellation of his visa this evening.
“Whether or not I agree with Djokovic on some things, justice has spoken and has said that he has the right to participate in the Australian Open and I think it is the fairest decision to do so, if it has been resolved that way. I wish him the best of luck,” Nadal told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
“On a personal level, I’d much rather he didn’t play!
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“It’s sports, many interests move around it, on a general level, at an economic, advertising level. Everything is much better when the best can be playing.”
But Nadal did reiterate his strong views on vaccination.
“The most important institutions in the world say that the vaccine is the way to stop this pandemic and the disaster that we have been living for the last 20 months,” Nadal said.
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