Novak Djokovic Gets the Last Laugh

Novak Djokovic has endured incredible hardships since the COVID-19 crisis and still has managed to triumph in tennis, retaining his world #1 ranking for his 400th week, owning that record and nearly every other relevant statistical record in the sport's history. That he did so under duress and incredible restrictions from world governments all because he refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine makes his record more impressive.

The oppression of Djokovic began on Nov. 8, 2021, when President Joe Biden put into effect an unscientific travel ban to the United States, mandating that unvaccinated non-citizens traveling by air would be banned from the country. If you're wondering if people traveling by land faced the same restrictions, they did not. Apparently, the COVID virus could only travel via airplane in the Biden administration's mind.

This led to Novak Djokovic being unable to participate in the entire American leg of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, keeping him out of tennis for the better part of two years. Tennis is a grueling sport requiring incredible reaction times and stamina, and most players who are out of competitive play for that long of periods are never the same again.

Djokovic still won almost every Major tournament he entered despite being rusty from lack of play. He also was able to maintain this world #1 ranking at the end of 2023 while missing the first half of the year's U.S. events, as Biden's travel restriction lasted all the way to May 2023, which disallowed Djokovic from playing at prestigious tournaments like Indian Wells in March.

Yes, the United States' draconian COVID restrictions remained in place until this summer, even as the rest of the world had eased its rules on the virus because it had become clear that the vaccines were not working and that the virus was not nearly as dangerous as the elites fearmongered originally. Thankfully, Djokovic was allowed back into the country later in the 2023 season, and he triumphed with a Cincinnati Masters 1000 victory and a U.S. Open championship.

Australia proved to be one step crazier in Djokovic's journey to return to #1, however. In 2022, Djokovic had been given clearance to play in the tournament, but a last-minute decision by government officials disallowed the player from entering the country. Instead of sending him on his way back home, Australia held him as a political prisoner in conditions he described at the time as horrific. The country took days with Djokovic stuck alone like a criminal while they held a show trial to kick him out of the country.

Djokovic got his revenge in 2023, winning the Australian Open Grand Slam easily as the rest of the field couldn't compete with him. He won three of the four Major tournaments this year, also triumphing at the French Open. His only Major loss was in the finals at Wimbledon against the young superstar Carlos Alcaraz.

Men's tennis just had its finals in Turin, Italy, where Djokovic won for a second year straight. In this tournament, the top eight players are invited to compete and show off their levels for the end of the season. The unvaccinated champion seems unstoppable, even at the age of 37.

The bannings of Djokovic's travel were ridiculous, unscientific, and tragic for tennis fans, as we might have seen Djokovic win another three or four Grand Slams if the governments hadn't decided to persecute the unvaccinated. As the world's #1 tennis player, he is one of the healthiest, fittest people in the world. Djokovic is known for his extreme vegan diet, and his exercise regimen is off the charts. He was not a risk nor a danger to anyone, but the Biden administration couldn't make exceptions or rework the pointless laws because it didn't want to be embarrassed.

Novak Djokovic still has the last laugh, and he's still making history in one of the world's most popular sports.