Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the prominent Greeks appearing in the government’s campaign to promote health rules against Covid.-19. This was last year. This year the World Number Three and role model for many youth stated that he would only get the Covid-19 vaccine if it became mandatory to compete in tennis.
While the men’s ATP Tour has publicly encouraged players to get vaccinated, the 23-year-old Greek is among those who still have reservations.
“No one has told me anything. No one has made it a mandatory thing to be vaccinated,” he told reporters, when asked if he would seek a vaccine while competing in the US.
“At some point I will have to, I’m pretty sure about it, but so far it hasn’t been mandatory to compete, so I haven’t done it, no,” added Tsitsipas, who received a first-round bye in the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, Reuters reported.
The Covid-19 vaccine has divided opinion within tennis.
World number one Novak Djokovic said in April he hoped the Covid-19 vaccine would not become mandatory for players to compete and has declined to answer questions regarding his own vaccination status.
However, fellow 20-time Grand Slam winners Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal feel athletes need to play their part to get life back to some form of normality. Federer said in May he got vaccinated, Nadal that he was not against the vaccine.
PS As one colleague posted: “It’s Tsitsipas’ right to do whatever he wants with himself as long as he doesn’t harm those around him and doesn’t cheat them behind their back.”
δικαίωμά του είναι του Τσιτσιπά να κάνει ό,τι θέλει με τον εαυτό του.
αρκεί να μη βλάπτει τους γύρω του
και να μην τους κοροϊδεύει πίσω απ' την πλάτη τους.πώς αισθάνονται τώρα εκείνοι που του έδωσαν κεντρικό ρόλο στην καμπάνια "Μένουμε ασφαλείς";
— Christos Xanthakis (@ChristosXanthak) August 17, 2021
99% of comments on Greek social media are “negative” against Tsitsipas. Particularly disappointed must be the Greek government with one minister to have written “Pity!”
Κρίμα! https://t.co/bDwQFersi8
— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) August 17, 2021
The problem with “young and healthy” Tsitsipas’ decision is that once infected he can spread the virus to those in contact with, including vulnerable people.
There goes his credibility as a role model. Now he proves he’s part of the “We don’t care about others” generation.
Young people spend 12 months under lockdown, could not study and lost jobs. Clearly we do care about others.
Indeed, once infected, he infected he can spread the virus to those in contact with, including vulnerable people. That is the case when you are not vaccinated, and when you are vaccinated. Being vaccinated or not doesn’t make any difference here.
you miss: if infected and not vaccinated one can land intubated to ICU and long-Covid. Not to speak of the death risk. But this is his own decision about what he does with himself.
So, if he’s willing to take that risk, what is your problem? You ended the article by writing that he is a threat to others. The same old manipulation and guilt placed on people with a different opinion. A lot of comments pointed the well known fact that the vaccinated people spread the same way and then you turn the phrase around “oh, there is more, he could die”. THAT IS HIS PROBLEM.
You can only infect people when you are contagious. That passes when your body has defeated the virus and chances are bigger for that when you are vaccinated. You can’t infect people after you recovered from the virus.
This makes me feel so sad, I have followed Stefanos career for several years, and admire him tremendously,however, I am disappointed to hear that he doesnt feel that he should take the vaccine, not just for his own safety, but for the good of everyone.
This does seem to be the attitude of many greeks, who dont seem to feel, or understand , how devastating the virus can be, and the long term after effects for some people are dreadful.
I wish the government would make the vaccine more freely available, less red tape, appointments etc, make it a more NORMAL thing to do, so people like Stefanos wouldnt think twice about taking it, for the long term good of the country.
Disappointing
What a twat
If you are not vaccinated, you can spread. Yes.
If you are vaccinated you can spread. Yes.
If you are not vaccinated and feel ill, you can go in quarantine and stop spreading. STAY HOME.
If you are vaccinated you are NOT feel ill, you can spread and NOT knowing it. GO OUT.
They name it “free vaccinated access”, but in the meantime spreading around.
So who is more dangerous?
Many people who aren’t vaccinated are asymptomatic, which means that they don’t know they have the virus and can spread it.
Do your research mate.
You are right ! But “”the big specialists”” can not explain this. Israel case is a good exemple for this.
He’s making his choice and we aren’t here to judge him. Respect other people choices seems to be difficult for greek people.
he is not a Mr anonymous but rather an ‘influencer’.
I don’t see why ‘young, healthy Tsitsipas’ should take a vaccine he doesn’t want for the sake of vulnerable people. The vulnerable people are mostly overweight, unhealthy and smoking. Why should he take the responsibility for their health when they clearly do not. The youth are being asked to bear the burden of this pandemic and I feel it is grossly unfair.
He must really like the taste of his own foot because he has put it in his mouth so many times!! Entitled baby…
Tsitsipas may be a world-class tennis player, but he’s neither a scientist or a medical doctor, and he should keep his big celebrity mouth shut!
p.
And what about you?
Perhaps, like others, he’s wondering what the long term effects could be of putting a virtually unknown substance into his young and healthy body ?
He acts as a responsible adult and not as a sheep. Bravo, Stefanos!