Low-cost Irish airline Ryanair have taken aim again at world No 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic after the Serbian refused to say that he was an anti-vaxxer in a tell-all interview following his Australian Open deportation.
The Serb found himself at the centre of vaccine controversy in January after having his visa declined by Australian border control when arriving in Melbourne to defend his Australian Open title.
He was then detained for a number of days before a successful appeal saw him released.
This did not last long though as Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke ordered for the tennis star to be deported once more.
The controversy came due to tournament organisers and politicians outlining to players that a vaccine against Covid was required in order to compete.
Djokovic, however, who is alleged to have not had the vaccine, travelled over via a "medical exemption" which was then denied on his arrival.
It still remains to be seen whether the Serb will be able to compete in the next two Grand Slams - the French Open and Wimbledon respectively.
Despite this, the world No 1 has revealed he is willing to give up the chance to win titles by not getting the jab, but did claim he was not totally against vaccination in an interview with the BBC.
Following these comments, Ryanair took a brutal dig by responding on Twitter.
We're not an airline but we do fly planes #Djokovic pic.twitter.com/wivO3L2dTp
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) February 15, 2022
Alongside the BBC headline "Novak Djokovic: I’m not anti-vax but will sacrifice trophies if told to get the jab" - they replied: “We're not an airline but we do fly planes #Djokovic”
This is not the first time the airline has taken a low blow at the Serbian, after they once again joked at his expense after news broke of his deportation.
Ryanair tweeted: “Unlucky @DjokerNole Flight home?” alongside a graphic of a hawkeye call.
The graphic then included two sides of a court line, with one reading ‘Australia’, and the other ‘not Australia’.
Unlucky @DjokerNole Flight home? pic.twitter.com/D8mpNq4jEB
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) January 5, 2022
The world No 1 is expected to compete in the Middle East Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which kicks off on Monday 21st February.
READ MORE: NOVAK: I’d rather not play in a Grand Slam again than get vaccinated.
