Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka has stated it is a “social responsibility” to get vaccinated and it should be compulsory. But the former world No.1 and WTA council member claimed there are legal reasons why the women’s professional tour cannot mandate every player to get jabbed.
Novak Djokovic’s deportation after seeking to get a medical exemption has led to calls for all tournaments to insist every player is vaccinated.
But the Belarussian, who won the Australian Open title in 2012 and 2013, said: “From my standpoint it’s been very clear. I believe in science. I believe in getting vaccinated. That’s what I did for myself.
“However, we are playing a global sport, we still have to respect countries, different countries, different mandates, different legalities of the country.
Some countries will not allow mandates. I think to impose something legally on the WTA Tour can be a challenge. I think that’s something that we are facing.
“I believe that spending a lot of extra money over this last almost two years now on all the testing, that is a big budget. I don’t necessarily will say that getting vaccinated, then nobody will be sick, but I think it is a step to hopefully battle against this coronavirus, hopefully bring it down globally. But to make it as a mandate, there is much more to it.
“If you ask me just for my opinion if that should be the case, I think it would just be helpful for everybody in the world, especially when we are traveling internationally.
“In our case I think this is what has been recommended, and that’s what I believe is the right thing to do.
“I think from a social standpoint it’s been very clear that the WTA is supporting the vaccines and recommending it. Again, it goes beyond mandating for a legal part. Encouragement has always been from the WTA side, from tennis side I think in general.”
The world No.25, who reached the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Jil Teichmann, added: “On a social aspect, personally for me it’s not necessarily maybe about myself, it’s about other people. Like my parents for example, are at high risk for COVID.
“I had COVID in November of this year. Unfortunately my parents also got it. It was tough for my dad. Thankfully he was vaccinated because I honestly don’t know what could have happened otherwise. For me there is a social responsibility for other people who are much more vulnerable than us. I definitely look at it from that point, as well.”
Azarenka said she thought the whole affair could have been prevented by having much clearer rules in place.
“I don’t believe there was anybody who looked good in any case. That became a bit of a circus,” she said.
“I think there should be a really hard look on this situation moving forward. I think as soon as there is a grey area in the rules, that gives a bit too much questions, and situations like this happen.
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“On certain things I think a black-and-white approach is necessary.”
The Federal Court of Australia will publish reasons for not overturning the immigration minister’s decision to deport the world No.1 on Thursday.
