"Athletes who were brave enough to be frank about their lack of Covid-19 vaccination status are going to look smarter and smarter" - Clay Travis on Novak Djokovic's refusal to be vaccinated

Novak Djokovic has been outspoken about his reluctance to get vaccinated against Covid-19, causing him to miss the Australian Open in January. The Serb has not changed his views since, insisting he is willing to miss Major tournaments rather than receive the vaccine.

Clay Travis, the founder of sports media company OutKick, commented on the possibility of Novak Djokovic missing the US Open as he is not vaccinated.

In an interview on Fox News, Travis described the situation as "crazy," but hoped there would be a resolution by the time the US Open starts. Travis also believes that athletes who are honest about their vaccination status will seem smarter as time goes by.

It's crazy. So first of all congrats to the US Open I think they got it right allowing the Russian Players to play unlike Wimbledon. Which is crazy. Since it is late August I think this will get resolved. This was a huge controversy in The New York City Yankees and Mets when the major league baseball was about to start and they came out with a brand new special exemption which allowed all those major league baseball players to play because it was even crazier than that. Remember, all the visiting teams players though not vaccinated would be eligible to play. It's a joke and I think this will end up getting resolved and Djokovic will play," Travis said.

"Athletes who were brave enough to be frank about their lack of Covid-19 vaccination status are going to continue to look smarter and smarter in the months and years ahead," he added.

The US Open, the final Major of the season, is set to get underway on August 29.

"I think it is crazy" - Novak Djokovic on Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players

Novak Djokovic in action at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships

Novak Djokovic was outspoken in his criticism of Wimbledon for banning Russian and Belarusian players from competing this year. Wimbledon made the decision as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Djokovic pointed out that tennis players had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine and that politics should not interfere with sports.

“The players, the tennis players, the athletes have nothing to do with (the Russia-Ukraine war). When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good,” Djokovic said.

Novak Djokovic also highlighted the fact that he experienced war as a child and knows the "emotional trauma" it inflicts.

“I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war,” Djokovic insisted. “I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia, we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans, we have had many wars in recent history. However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy."

The ban, which has been criticized by many, means that the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Aryna Sabalenka will not be able to compete at SW19.