Novak Djokovic counters criticism: "I'm not a robot"
Novak Djokovic responded to criticism regarding some of his statements in Instagram live chats in the podcast "Wish & Go" .
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jun 13, 2020, 12:09 pm
Like so many players, Novak Djokovic was a welcome guest on Instagram live talks at the time of COVID-19, the relaxed, informal conversations with the industry leader reached a million audience. However, not all statements made by the Serb during these talks were taken as lightly as the discussions were: the world leader spoke of water that could be cleaned by thought and turned into healing water, or vehemently criticized the need for corona vaccination. These are just two of some of Djokovic's questionable statements, which have caused some violent criticism in recent weeks.
Criticism that did not leave Djokovic without a trace. "People always point out the responsibility that I have and the fact that any information I share has a significant impact on their reach. I'm not saying that I am not guiltless in this regard. Sometimes I say a few things, and when I think about it afterwards, I realize that I shouldn't have put it the way I did, "said the Serb in the podcast" Wish & Go ". Nevertheless, he is not a robot and wants to emphasize things that are important to him.
Headwind from player circles
In the same breath, Novak Djokovic then makes a move against the critics of recent days: "Some groups of people, you could call them elites, you could call them the establishment, want some things in a certain way and they want everyone to be silent and just listen to what they say. Simply put, this is something that I think is unfair and undemocratic, when I think something is fair and in accordance with God’s commandments and values and Principles of life, then I have to support it, " Ubitennis.com quoted the Serbs.
Djokovic had no problem admitting mistakes, but he didn't want his mouth to be banned in any way. "Equality", "fairness" and "respect" are just a few of the many values for which he would particularly like to stand up. These virtuous intentions are currently only roguishly recognizable for many colleagues on the tour, as is shown in particular by the statement by the American Danielle Collins: "He is far from being a role model at this time", Collins stated on social networks. For them, Djokovic's criticism of the measures for a possible staging of the US Open was the reason for this reprimand.
Here is an opinion article on Djokovic's statements from the past few weeks.