Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who famously declined to take the coronavirus vaccine, won his fourth U.S. Open and 24th Grand Slam on Sunday, where he followed up his win explaining to ESPN that his decision not to take the vaccination “was never anti-vax” and “was always pro-freedom.”

“I was never anti-vax. I was always pro-freedom to choose and that’s something we took really for granted,” he told tennis legend McEnroe in an interview with ESPN Plus. “I didn’t feel like a lot of people had a choice. I was encountering that on a daily basis with so many people in my country or around the world.”

In what was ironically touted by ESPN as the “Moderna Shot of the Day,” Djokovic, at 35, became the oldest man to ever win the U.S. Open, and to make it even more impressive won against a 27-year-old, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, in what NBC News called, “an unwavering, point-by-point war between the best.” The outlet noted that the younger Medvedev even had to call out a trainer during the match, but that the older Djokovic “presented a master class on winning, his body never faltering, his resolve ice cold.”

Yahoo Sports called Djokovic’s past year a “wild ride,” after the tennis pro was denied entry into Australia in 2022 for refusing to take the coronavirus vaccine, and also refused entry into the U.S. for the 2022 U.S. Open after President Joe Biden banned foreign nationals who did not present proof of coronavirus vaccine from flying into the country in October 2021.

Novak Djokovic poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on January 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

The outlet noted how many believe Djokovic “would have had a couple more” wins if he had not been “prevented from competing,” saying:

It has been a wild ride for the 36-year-old.

Djokovic sits on 23 majors following his successes at this year’s Australian Open and French Open and many believe he would have had a couple more had regulations not prevented from competing at Melbourne Park and New York last year.

The tennis great said, after his return to U.S. soil in August, that he had no regrets on how things turned out, and that he was “glad to be back,” noting that he has had “plenty of success on American soil”:

“Throughout my life I’ve really developed this kind of mindset that I don’t look back with regret on things,” Djokovic said, according to the sports outlet Tennis365. “Things happening on the outside, the reason I was not here for two years, I have zero regrets. I’m glad to be back. I’ve had plenty of success on American soil.”

“I’m very excited to return to the country after two years; I’m very grateful for all the love that people are giving me,” he added.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts after beating Italy’s Jannik Sinner to win their men’s singles semifinal match on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, on July 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Djokovic has long held his “pro-freedom” stance, and stuck to his beliefs even with the realization that he would be “unable to travel to most of the tournaments,” but said it was “the price I’m willing to pay” in comments he made in 2022:

“I understand that, and support fully, the freedom to choose, you know, whether you want to get vaccinated or not,” Djokovic said in a February 2022 interview with the BBC. “And I have not spoken about this before and I have not disclosed my medical record and my vaccination status because I had the right to keep that private and discreet, but as I see there is a lot of wrong conclusions and assumptions out there I think it’s important to speak up.”

“I understand that not being vaccinated today, I’m unable to travel to most of the tournaments at the moment. That is the price I’m willing to pay,” Djokovic asserted. “The principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else.”

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has also famously declined to take the vaccine, supported Djokovic during the U.S. Open, and said of the tennis star’s decision not to vaccinate:

“Novak is one of the most fit athletes in the world and I think that anybody looking at the situation realizes how ridiculous it was to not allow him into the country with [his] level of fitness and the way he takes care of his body. Like him, I care about health and I was just having a little bit of fun with it,” Rodgers said on Sept. 7.