Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world. His 23 Grand Slam titles are proof of mastery. But off the court, the Serbian tennis star clings to some rather outrageous beliefs. He has openly spoken about a few things he believes in, which has raised eyebrows.
There is no doubt that the 35-year-old Serbian knows the game like no other. He still has the hunger and determination to be the best on the court. As any athlete, Djokovic too works hard to be in the best shape possible. But sometimes, the player can go to extreme lengths to achieve that.
He was on the receiving end of severe backlash from fans and pundits alike when he refused to take the COVID vaccine. He was deported from Australia and barred from participating in the US Open because of their stringent COVID laws.
It did not affect Novak, as he participated in other tournaments and won them. Ahead of his Wimbledon summit clash against Carlos Alcaraz, we take a look at some of his truly bizarre beliefs.
Covid vaccine
Djokovic’s stance on the COVID vaccine is easily one of his biggest controversies. He had made it clear pretty early on, that he was opposed to being vaccinated. This move resulted in being deported from Australia after judges rejected his challenge, on grounds of ‘health and good order.’
Novak had accepted the ruling but said that he was, “extremely disappointed.” When scientists were working on an emergency vaccine, the results showed that there was a positive correlation between the vaccine and the reduction of chances of death, Djokovic dismissed it.
“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” he had said soon after the start of the viral pandemic. “My issue here with vaccines is if someone is forcing me to put something in my body that I don’t want.” he clarified.
Gluten-free diet
Novak’s holistic beliefs go as far back as 2010. Following a string of weak performances, he diagnosed himself as gluten intolerant. It came in the wake of discovering how his body apparently reacted to white bread.
The world number 2 was put in touch with Dr. Igor Cetojevic. When they met in Croatia, the doctor asked the Serb to stretch out his left hand, while he was holding a piece of bread against Novak’s stomach. Djokovic said his arm felt weaker in the presence of bread.
Telepathy
In 2018, Novak Djokovic revealed that he believes people are born with telepathic powers. He said: “You have this thing called telepathy, right? Or this thing called telekinesis, or instinct, or intuition.”
“I feel like [these] are the gifts from this higher order, the source, the god, whatever, that allows us to understand the higher power and higher order in ourselves.” said the player (via The Mirror).
Power of self-healing
It is not surprising that a person who believes in telepathy also believes in the power of self-healing. Meditation is an important part of his routine. He believes his body has the power to fight against any virus and heal from any injury. However, in 2018, he needed to undergo surgery for his elbow.
He was so disappointed that he couldn’t heal himself, he cried for three days straight. “Every time I thought about what I did, I felt like I had failed myself,” he said. While Novak Djokovic is free to do whatever he chooses with his own body, and believes in what he wants, as an influential personality he should exercise caution about what he tells his avid fans.
