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The Australian Open is underway and without defending champion and World Number One, Novak Djokovic who was deported from Australia from refusing to get vaccinated against the corona virus before/on entering Australia.

The whole issue was one big mess, and the end result stirred reactions from every Novak supporter even up to the President of Serbia who referred to his treatment as a Disgrace.

Djokovic may be the highest profile name to be involved in a covid vaccine rift, but he isn't the only one. Brooklyn Nets star player Kylie Irving was initially omitted from the team through beginning of the regular season for refusing to get vaccinated. However, due to the same Covid protocols issued go teams by the NBA, the nets found themselves with a shortage of players and Kyrie was brought back for away games.

Covid is a sensitive subject for most, and the question of whether one should get vaccinated or not are supposed to be personal after considering the pros and cons. Djokovic's argument against vaccinating was that he was already diagnosed with covid in December and should have natural immunity against the Virus.

Regulatory bodies however have had little tolerance for vaccine skeptics. Some, like the NBA are more lenient with their mandates to those who refuse to take the jab. Instead, they require daily testing and reporting.

Others like the Australian government are not so tolerant. Djokovic's deportation is proof of that. However, there will always be questions about the over reaches and limitations of both parties, as well as the limits of personal rights and freedoms.

Respect the Decision

No matter what side of the vaccine spectrum one is on, one thing I believe is that individuals will always make decisions that they feel is best for them. One thing I don't especially enjoy is the social media reaction to superstars who decide not to vaccinate. The insults are derogatory, and things quickly take a political undertone.

I believe those like Novak and Kyrie who decide not to vaccinate understand fully the consequences of their actions. Therefore, the decision should be fully respected rather than subjecting these athletes to all sorts of media harassments.

Conclusion

I largely keep away from politics these days, and I believe sports could do without it by maintaining professionalism among athletes and regulators alike.

Should sports be a avenue for people to pursue certain political agendas? It certainly provides the platform, but I think focusing on a controversial issue could come at the expense of the sport itself.

It is quite complicated, and some issues may need to be handled on a per time basis. Still, I hope that we could simply enjoy a game or a talented player in the future without fans and the media alike focusing on one personal controversy or the other.