大象传媒

Novak Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, had his visa revoked on 6 January shortly after arriving in Australia amid questions over the vaccine exemption that would have permitted him to enter. On Monday, however, a judge dramatically overturned the decision and ordered the release of the player from detention.

Kayleen Devlin, from the 大象传媒's anti-disinformation unit, says that the tennis player's opposition to vaccines and perceived treatment in Australia has given weight to more outlandish theories, such as that the vaccine is harmful and part of global plot to control society, although Djokovic has never explicitly come out to support them. She makes the point that sports figures are very influential and can have a real effect on public opinion. Other high profile players opposed to vaccination include Tennys Sandgren, who opted out of the Australian Open because he is unvaccinated, and the NFL's Aron Rodgers.

Photo: Novak Djokovic during a training session in Melbourne, Australia, 12 January 2022 Credit: EPA