Rafael Nadal lobs shot at Novak Djokovic over vaccination comment: 'Everyone will have to follow the rules'

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Rafael Nadal said last week that “everyone will have to follow the rules” if tennis officials will require players to receive a coronavirus vaccine before stepping out onto the court — including Novak Djokovic.

Nadal made his comments during an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Voz De Galicia. He said no one can be forced to take the vaccine and everyone should be free to make their own choices, but competitors will need to comply with tennis’ rules should officials require “vaccination to travel” and “protect” everyone on the tour.

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“Then Djokovic will have to be vaccinated if he wants to keep playing tennis at the top level,” Nadal told the newspaper. “The same for me. Everyone will have to follow the rules, just like now we have to stay at home.”

Nadal added: “If the ATP or the International Tennis Federation obligates us to take the vaccine to play tennis, then we will have to do it.”

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Djokovic recently said he was against taking a vaccine for the coronavirus even if it was mandatory to travel, but later added he was open to changing his mind. Last week, he broke confinement rules in Spain after a local club said it mistakenly allowed him to practice on one of its courts.

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There is still no vaccine available for the coronavirus. More than 270,000 people worldwide have died because of the coronavirus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.