"I believe in vaccination" says Victoria Azarenka talking about Djokovic and vaccine mandates

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has voiced her support for players getting vaccinated.

Victoria Azarenka was asked about the Novak Djokovic fiasco at the Australian Open and the outspoken Belarussian player had a lot of things to say. Similar to some of her colleagues, Azarenka underlined the importance of getting vaccinated. She said:

"I believe in science, in getting vaccinated. That's what I did. I don't want to push my beliefs on everybody else. However, we are playing a global sport and are travelling around the world. As an entity, as an association of the WTA that is travelling globally, we still have to respect countries, different countries, different mandates, different legalities of the country."

Azarenka is on the WTA Player's council and is an outspoken and respected voice within the organization. She also contracted COVID and knows what it feels like:

"For me, there is a social responsibility for other people who are much more vulnerable maybe than us. I definitely look at it from that point, as well."

On vaccine mandates, Azarenka said:

"To impose something legally on the WTA Tour can be a challenge. I think that's something that we are facing. I don't necessarily say that by 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."

She finished off with:

"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 travelling internationally."