"He’s a disgrace; Novak Djokovic is one of the most dangerous people in sport and one of the most dangerous celebrities on this planet" - Journalist Benjamin Butterworth

Novak Djokovic closed the gap in the men's Grand Slam race on Sunday as he won his seventh Wimbledon title and 21st Major by beating Nick Kyrgios. Djokovic is now just one Slam behind leader Rafael Nadal, who has 22 Majors to his name.

But while Djokovic's feat on the court was widely celebrated, his stance on the COVID 19 vaccine continues to attract criticism from some quarters.

Djokovic has faced a lot of flak in this regard since January, when he was deported from Australia due to his unvaccinated status. Now, as his US Open participation is in doubt given COVID-19 restrictions in the country, another journalist has raised concerns over Djokovic's views.

Journalist Benjamin Butterworth recently spoke on the Dan Wootton Tonight show on GB News, slamming the Serb's continued refusal to get the vaccine which he believes puts "people at risk." Butterworth went on to call Djokovic a "disgrace."

"Absolutely [people need the vaccine] and he’s a disgrace," Butterworth said. "Novak Djokovic is one of the most dangerous people in sport and one of the most dangerous celebrities on this planet."

"Because if you look at the report from the Lancet, the medical journal, it says that an estimated 14.4 million people have had their lives saved by virtue of having the vaccine," he added. "And the highest estimates from around the world of people after having the vaccine is 77,000."

"So it’s clear that what Novak Djokovic did is put people at risk," Butterworth went on. "And that’s why he’s a disgrace."

Butterworth added that Djokovic is one of the most well-known sports stars in the world and that he was using the platform he was given to "put people off getting the vaccine."

"We know that the chance of passing it on is reduced by about a third if not more, so it is beneficial in terms of passing it on," Butterworth said. "But Djokovic is one of the most famous sport stars in the world and he chose to use that platform, a platform that lots of people admire him for being such a remarkable tennis player, and he used that to put people off getting the vaccine."

"I just felt huge relief, because emotionally I have been constantly stressed out, like never before in my life" - Novak Djokovic after winning Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic after winning his seventh title at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic revealed after his Wimbledon win that the dramatic saga of his deportation from Australia has made him "constantly stressed out like never before."

In an article on Tennis Majors, Djokovic said that the source of his stress was not just the deportation itself but also the negative criticism that followed. And while he has always tried to stay "calm and mentally balanced," the situation has shaken him.

"I just felt huge relief, because emotionally I have been constantly stressed out, like never before in my life – not solely because of what happened in Australia, but because of what followed me afterwards in relation with that," Novak Djokovic said.

"I always strive to do things which make me calm and mentally balanced, but I am a human being after all," he added. "There were some very ugly insults, provocations, media constantly reminding me about what happened, and it got to me… But I am happy to say that I do not carry that emotional burden for some time now, even more so with this victory."