Novak Djokovic has a new friend who shares his anti-vaccination stance. Stefanos Tsitsipas has said that he will only take the vaccine if it is made mandatory by tournaments.

Here are some comments from Tsitsipas that have become controversial.

I’m young, under 25 category, for me the vaccine has not been tested enough, it is new. It has some side effects

I want to see a better version of the vaccine, which will give us more pluses than minuses.

I personally know some people who have had them. I’m not against it, I just see no reason for someone in my age group to need to be vaccinated

Apostolos Tsitsipas, the father of Stefanos Tsitsipas, echoed similar views

Athletes have a strong enough immune system to deal with any challenge that may arise. They take the necessary measures, are in a controlled environment and do PCR and Antigen tests almost every day.

Not surprisingly, the Greek government pushed back on Tsitsipas’ comments. Government spokesman Giannis Economou  said that Tsitsipas doesn’t have the knowledge or background to make such comments. He also said that athletes, who have huge social social influence should be careful when expressing views on such topics.

Other tennis players such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have taken the vaccine and have encouraged others to take the vaccine.

Sloane Stephens is featured in the recent edition of Shape magazine where she talked about the power of paying it forward. Talking about the impact of paying forward, Stephens said,

Growing up, it was just a part of our family. Having that connection with people that we could help and be involved in their lives.”

In the interview, Stephens talks about her motivation for starting the Sloane Stephens Foundation. The foundation now supports thousands of kids in the Los Angeles area with education and tennis. 

Sloane Stephens’ best year was in 2017 when she won the US Open title. She also reached the finals at the French Open in 2018. She splits her time between Florida and California when she is not traveling to tournaments.