Tennis legend Pat Cash believes the covid vaccine should not be made mandatory for tennis players

Retired Australian tennis pro Pat Cash has spoken up about his thoughts on the Covid vaccine, stating that tennis players should not be forced to take it.

In a recent interview, Cash stated that he believes tennis players should hold off before taking the vaccine, as there is still a lot of uncertainty over the long-term effects.

“I just don’t want young, healthy athletes taking something that could long-term damage them for no reason," said Cash. “We just don’t know. Can’t we just wait a year or two years until all the info is out there? And make a decision then."

The 1987 Wimbledon champion added he believes most tennis players do not want to take the vaccine but are getting the shot simply because it might be required to travel.

“More and more tennis players are getting vaccinated because they cannot do their job unless they are. They cannot play in tournaments, they cannot travel," said Cash. “They see there’s really no need for them to do it. We all are being held hostage, talking about vaccine passports, can’t go to restaurants.

“Can’t do this, can’t do that. Aren’t we all being sort of pressured into this? Can we make our own mind up please?”

World No.1 Novak Djokovic has been vocal about his thoughts on social distancing and quarantine, although he's opted not to reveal his vaccination status. Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas recently stated that he is not vaccinated, and would not be getting the shot until it becomes mandatory to compete on the ATP Tour.