Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla today urged Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Mr Poonawala in a tweet said that he respected the tennis star's "personal views" on not getting vaccinated but hopes he changes his mind. The vaccine mogul posted a video of himself playing tennis along with his appeal.
"I respect your personal views on not getting vaccinated @DjokerNole and love watching you play, but I hope you change your mind. In the meantime, the rest of us now might stand a chance at a Grand Slam," he said.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner had triggered a massive outcry at the season-opening Grand Slam in Australia. His visa was cancelled last month ahead of the Australian Open over his Covid vaccination status.
He flew out of Melbourne after failing in a last-gasp bid to stay following a protracted legal battle with Australian authorities.
In a recent interview with the BBC, he said that he is willing to not take part in tournaments if he is asked to be vaccinated.
When asked if he would forego tournaments like the French Open and Wimbledon if there is a requirement of being vaccinated, he said "that is the price he is willing to pay" because "the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else".
The world number one player claims he is still not vaccinated but maintains that he is not against vaccination and that he recognises a lot of effort has gone into handling the virus so that the pandemic ends soon.
Interestingly, Mr Djokovic is co-founder and majority shareholder of a biotech firm developing a Covid treatment.
According to information publicly available in the Danish business register, 34-year-old Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, together hold a stake of 80 percent in QuantBioRes, which employs a workforce of around 20 in Denmark, Slovenia, Australia and Britain.
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