Rafa's reminder: the freedom to make vaccine decisions comes with consequences

MELBOURNE MATCH POINT: Nadal starts new season with a win

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are both in the host city of the Australian Open, but the pair of 20-time major champions find themselves in completely different environments for the time being.

Nadal launched his 2022 season Thursday when he dismissed Ricardas Berankis, 6-2, 7-5, at an ATP 250 event in Melbourne. The top seed, who was among a large contingent of players that contracted COVID-19 at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last month, shared in a press conference that his experience with the virus resulted in shaking while recovering at home as he endured the “toughest symptoms that I had in my life in terms of flu.”

Naturally, the direction of the Spaniard’s presser shifted to Djokovic being detained in Melbourne hours earlier, after it was determined by the Australian Border Force that the world No. 1 didn’t hold sufficient documentation to support a vaccine exemption. While Nadal acknowledged not having full transparency on his rival’s situation, the 35-year-old hit one point hard.

“I believe in what the people who know about medicine says. If the people says that we need to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine,” he stated.

“If you are vaccinated, you can play in the Australian Open and everywhere. The world in my opinion [has] been suffering enough to not follow the rules.”

Nadal avoided proclaiming the Serbian must get the COVID-19 shots, affirming that to each is their own when it comes to making choices. With that said, the left-hander continued discussing his outlook on the bigger picture of the current climate.

“After a lot of people had been dying for two years, my feeling is the vaccine is the only way to stop this pandemic. That's what the people who understands about this says, and I am [not] one to create a different opinion,” he said.

“I think if (Novak) wanted, he would be playing here in Australia without a problem. Everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences.”

Concluded Nadal, “Of course I don't like the situation that is happening. In some way I feel sorry for him. But at the same time, he knew the conditions since a lot of months ago.”

I think if (Novak) wanted, he would be playing here in Australia without a problem. Rafael Nadal

Djokovic will spend the weekend in a quarantine hotel as lawyers from both sides prepare for a hearing Monday morning. The Serbian is reportedly without his wallet and his possessions have not been transferred to the temporary accommodation.

Nadal later withdrew from his doubles match with Jaume Munar and faces Tallon Griekspoor in Friday’s quarterfinals.