Toni Nadal threw a bit of shade towards
Novak Djokovic in his recent interview though the long-time coach didn't say anything that is factually wrong.
Novak Djokovic's name has been used in anti-vaccine rhetoric ever since he publicly confirmed that he would not get vaccinated. It's a narrative he pushed back against because he firmly stated that he is not against vaccines. The decision impacted his career and legacy directly which he was fine with as he believes in the freedom to choose and he made his.
In a recent interview, Toni Nadal commented on on that stance saying:
"If everyone had done the same thing as Djokovic regarding vaccination, there would have been 10 times more deaths."
It's not the first time Nadal has questioned his stance as he wrote this in a 2022 column:
"There are almost six million people who have lost their lives due to this damn virus and many other millions who have received the vaccine. I want to think that Novak is no stranger to all this and that he will clear up the doubts as a sign of human sensitivity and understanding."
Djokovic ultimately remained unvaccinated and with the pandemic slowly becoming less of a factor the story itself is less interesting. Even so, Nadal was right, the vaccine was very effective in reducing the effects of the virus giving those that contract it a better chance at fighting it off as well as making transmission less likely.