Tennis player Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the Australian Open after having his visa revoked. This is a result of the tennis star’s refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The tournament required vaccination for all participants; however, Djokovic had received a medical exemption from having to get the vaccine.

The Australian government rejected Djokovic’s medical exemption and canceled his visa. He appealed this decision and won, but as ESPN reported, his visa was revoked for a second time, and he was deported from Australia.

Djokovic’s battle with the Australian government over his vaccination status has garnered both support and opposition for the nine-time Australian Open winner. However, he is not the first well known professional athlete to fall under scrutiny for not getting vaccinated – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving have refused the vaccine as well.

As many companies and businesses are now mandating employees to get the vaccine, sports teams and leagues should require athletes to do the same.

Refusing the vaccine is selfish. By not getting vaccinated, they increase the odds that they will contract the virus and spread it to others. 

These athletes are putting themselves, their teammates, the team staff, and – depending on the sport – their opponents all at risk because of personal beliefs. Any further spread to staff families or coworkers could be serious as they may be immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions, which could make exposure to the virus deadly. 

Professional athletes also travel frequently, either domestically or internationally. If they do not get vaccinated, then they could spread variants of the virus to different parts of the world and cause major outbreaks, like we are experiencing now with the Omicron variant.

Overall, if athletes are not vaccinated, then they could be a detriment to their own health, and to that of the coaches, teammates, and other personnel with whom they interact almost every day.

Making vaccines mandatory for athletes helps to make the sport safer and more enjoyable for both fans and competitors alike.