In the opening match of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters 2022, one of the great expectations of the tournament was defeated: Novak Djokovic. To win over the Serbian was Davidovich Fokina in three sets, with the final score of 6-3 7-6 (5) 6-1.
A game of ups and downs for the world number one, who seemed not a little tired in the last game of the match. The physical condition is certainly dictated by the lack of games played. In this year, Djokovic only played in Dubai, before tennis returned to the European continent.
The reason is now known to all: the Serbian tennis player has decided not to undergo anti-Covid vaccinations. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, after the events in Australia, the world number one explained that, as an athlete, he must know what is injected into his body.
There was no shortage of criticism from public opinion on this choice. In particular, Roberto Burioni is very active on Twitter, who has always been against Djokovic’s choice. The immunologist, therefore, took advantage of the defeat to lash out at the former winner of the Monte Carlo tournament.
Burioni attacks again Djokovic
“It’s certainly the vaccine’s fault,” said Burioni about Djokovic’s defeat. An answer that did not concern only the Serbian champion, but also referred to some Italian politicians who have insinuated correlations between vaccine and physical performance: from Claudio Borghi, who reported the problems of the cyclist Sagan, to Lucio Malan.
Ugo Humbert is not of the same opinion as Burioni. The young French tennis player did not start the tennis season in the best possible way and his motivations have not concerned the tennis expressed so far. According to the Frenchman, after the Toronto Masters, he had a hard time training.
“It’s very hard to tell. I’m definitely not a doctor. I did all the tests I could and we didn’t find anything. It was crazy. The doctors said there might be a link to the vaccine, but it was useless to keep looking,” because we don’t know enough about the vaccine yet,” explained Humbert.
The Metz tennis player, however, also tested positive in the Covid test a few hours later in the match lost to Richard Gasquet in the debut match at the Australian Open.
Djokovic (numero 1) perde contro Davidovich Fokina (numero 46) al primo turno del torneo ATP di Montecarlo. È certamente colpa del vaccino.
— Roberto Burioni (@RobertoBurioni) April 12, 2022