Connors defends Djokovic over choice not to take COVID-19 vaccine: "People that crapped on him are kissing his a** now"

Former American tennis player, Jimmy Connors has defended Novak Djokovic over his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine which saw him miss most of last season and only a new regime meant he could return to the Australian Open.

"The guy stood up for his beliefs, right or wrong, some people are going to say moving to the left, the other is going to stay moving to the right? But he stood up for his beliefs and he was willing to stick by that, to the point of being ostracized from the game. That's brutal," he said on the Advantage Connors podcast.

He also laid criticism to those previous critics of Djokovic who are now praising him saying that they all turned against him last year and now have done a U-turn.

"I can identify, I was ostracized. You know, from the French Open and from playing some tournaments and stuff like that. So, what the hell, go in there and do your job when that's the only way to get even. And I hate to say that because it sounds like 'oh god, he's angry', I'm not angry. I just know how many of those people that have cr**ped on him last year and all that, are kissing his a** now. All of them."