Novak Djokovic has given his first public interview since being deported from Australia, and in it the world No 1 confirmed his intention to not take the coronavirus vaccine. Djokovic told the BBC that he is willing to risk missing Roland-Garros and Wimbledon this summer, because he feels his personal freedom is more important.

In Match Points #37, Marion Bartoli, Carole Bouchard and Simon Cambers discuss the implications of Djokovic’s decision, wondering what is motivating him to risk his legacy and whether or not he will change his mind in the coming months.

The panel of the last episode of Match Points combs over the issues with host Josh Cohen, discussing whether or not Djokovic may be helped by a loosening of coronavirus restrictions across Europe this spring as the omicron variant begins to abate and temperatures begin to warm.

After asking the question “Who deserves the most blame for what happened to Djokovic in Australia?” the conversation moves forward to other topics, such as Nadal’s stirring comeback in the 2022 Australian Open final, which players have taken the biggest step forwards and backwards thus far in 2022.