Here's the secret behind Novak Djokovic's resistance to COVID tyranny
Summary
This week, the world has been eagerly awaiting, glued to their phones, checking constantly for updates from the state of Australia, and all because the world's number one tennis player has now become the latest target of the Australian government's totalitarian diktats. While this is still a developing story, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: the secret to Novak Djokovic's strength.
Transcript
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This week, the world has been eagerly awaiting, glued to their phones, checking constantly for
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updates from the state of Australia, and all because the world's number one tennis player
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has now become the latest target of the Australian government's totalitarian diktats.
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While this is still a developing story, I'm going to let you in on a little secret.
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The secret to Novak Djokovic's strength. Stay tuned.
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This is the John Henry Weston Show, and let's begin, as we always do, with the sign of the cross.
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
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So the latest news is that the Australian Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, will announce his decision
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Friday regarding whether or not he will use his special governmental powers to cancel Djokovic's
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visa again, despite the court ruling in favor of Djokovic. Now, sources close to the tennis legend
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have revealed that Djokovic would immediately appeal in court any attempt to deport him.
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Moreover, some suggest that Novak could face a fine or even prison in Serbia after his admission
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that he broke isolation while he had COVID last month. The tennis star did acknowledge that he knew
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he had tested positive when he attended a newspaper interview and photo shoot in the Serbian capital
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on the 18th of December, saying that it was an error of judgment. Moreover, the player suggested it was
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human error by his support team for a mistake they made in immigration paperwork. They had failed to
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declare that he had traveled outside of Serbia to Spain in the two-week period before entering
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Australia. So for those of you who may not be familiar with this story, Novak Djokovic, of course,
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is the world's number one tennis player who has won a joint record of 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles,
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including a record nine Australian Open titles. Now, he is in Australia to defend his title at the
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Australian Open. And over the past week, Djokovic was embroiled in a legal battle against the
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Australian government with the whole world glued in to watch. Now, the saga began toward the end of
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last year when Tennis Australia, the authority overseeing the Australian Open, made it clear that all
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athletes participating would have to be vaccinated with the COVID jab. Now, following the strict ruling,
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Djokovic's father, Serjan, told Serb TV that, and I quote, under these blackmails and conditions,
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he said of his famous son, he probably won't play. I wouldn't do that, he said, and he's my son,
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so you decide for yourself. On his own part, Novak Djokovic said that he had already said, actually,
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in April 2020, he said, and I quote, personally, I am opposed to vaccination, and I wouldn't want to be
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forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel, end quote. The number one said in
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a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes, quote, but if it becomes compulsory,
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what will happen? I will have to make a decision. And later, he refused to bow to industry and media
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pressure to reveal whether he had received an experimental COVID shot or not, stating that
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his conviction in October that such decisions ought to remain private stood. So, he said at the time,
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I will not reveal my status, whether I've been vaccinated or not. It's a private matter and an
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inappropriate inquiry. And then, early this year, it was revealed that Novak would be permitted to
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defend his title at the Australian Open, as he had been given a medical exemption. The organizers wrote,
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quote, Djokovic applied for a medical exemption, which was granted following a rigorous review
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process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts, end quote. However, after landing
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in Melbourne on January 5th, Australian border officials denied him entry, stating that he had
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failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa had
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been subsequently canceled. Now, from there, the world's number one tennis star was taken into a
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dingy hotel, an immigration detention facility in Melbourne, known for maggots and mold in their food.
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And he was kept there until the following Monday. He was denied the request to move to another hotel
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room. Djokovic spent most of the most important religious festival to Orthodox Christians, which he is,
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he's Serbian Orthodox, their Christmas on January 6th, in the detention facility, with the Australian
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government banning him from visiting him, even banning, banning a priest from visiting him on his
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holiest day. We'll get to more of that in a moment. But the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison,
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took to Twitter to virtue signal to the public, declaring that Djokovic had been denied entry into
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Australia because, quote, nobody is above the rules. But of course, Novak had obtained a medical
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exemption from the country's vaccination mandate from two independent medical boards of the state
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of Victoria's Department of Health and Tennis Australia, the governing organization for tennis
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in Australia. The media in Australia, meanwhile, was totally vicious. In fact, you want an inside glimpse
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of just how vicious they were? Take a look at this. This is two television broadcasters who were caught
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on tape castigating the tennis star. You got to watch this for yourself to understand the animosity
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coming from the media against Novak Djokovic. Take a look. Oh, and by the way, before you go there,
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please be advised there's some language in there, but it just shows you how truly vicious they are.
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An arsehole. He is an arsehole. Like, whatever way you look at it, it's unfortunate that everybody
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else stuffed up around him. That's it. I mean, he's an arsehole. Like, to go out when you know
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you're COVID positive. Well, I don't think he was even COVID positive. I don't think that form is true.
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He got a bullshit fucking excuse and then fell over his own fucking lies, which is what happens,
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right? Yeah. That's what's happened. And then him now then ticking, he didn't go to Spain.
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Yeah. It's just like... Yeah. Yeah. But I think, I think he's going to get away with it.
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Well, he is going to get away with it. Yeah. I just... But he's... I think most fair-minded
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people would say that Blake's an arsehole. Did we, did they do the right thing by him? I don't know.
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No, I don't. I don't think so. I fucked it up. I don't think so.
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Meanwhile, the Serbian president intervened in the matter, stating, and I quote,
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I told our Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him and that our bodies are doing everything to see
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that the harassment of the world's best tennis player is brought to an end immediately.
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In line with all norms of international law, Serbia will fight for Novak, truth and justice.
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This is the first international dispute over COVID vaccination requirements involving direct
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intervention by a head of state on behalf of the unvaccinated. So very serious stuff going on.
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And finally, following an online hearing just a few days ago, which by the way, was interrupted
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by network glitches and porn clips. I mean, you can see the absolute animosity,
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the ferocious animosity going on. Judge Anthony Kelly in federal court overruled the prior decision
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to cancel Djokovic's visa and the tennis star was ordered to be released from his mandatory detention.
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And I quote this from the judge, no later than 30 minutes. And that is after the order was given.
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So the judge declared that the rules were not observed in Australia when the board official
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decided to revoke Djokovic's visa. So he also ordered the government to pay the athlete's legal
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costs and to return his personal belongings. So Novak is on the court again and has been scheduled
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for play in the Australian open to defend his title. However, despite the court ruling, immigration minister
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Alex Hawk warned anyway that he would still consider exercising a personal power to have Djokovic removed
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from the country, canceling the athlete's visa, which by the way, would result in Djokovic being
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prevented from returning for three years to Australia. This is absolutely unbelievable.
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So there's another thing. The false narrative being spread by the mainstream media in Australia
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and really the media around the world about this tennis legend as some kind of privileged star who
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doesn't care about anyone and is unconcerned about coronavirus. It is such a lie. Here's a little
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compilation of his generosity put together by his fans with specific reference to coronavirus. Have a look.
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Djokovic said this award is the most important I've ever got that can be earned only with hard
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work and self-belief, belief in your loved ones and in God. But for Djokovic and his wife Yelena,
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what matters most is using his influence and wealth to benefit those who need it the most.
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Whether that means donating to save a chapel in France or opening a restaurant with
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free food for the homeless and those in need, or working through the foundation his family
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established providing preschool education for underprivileged Serbian children.
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Novak has the power and the voice to raise the awareness and raise the funds for investment in
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the preschool education programs. And in the future, we might not have this power.
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This follower of Jesus is clearly determined to steward his blessings to serve others.
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I think the athletes have the huge power to change the world, as Nelson Mandela said. And I think that
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At LifeSite, we had a petition for Djokovic titled Free Novak Djokovic, which garnered more than 45,000
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signatures in 24 hours on our petitions platform called lifepetitions.com. And it's over 90,000
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signatures right now. Meanwhile, numerous protests were held in Serbia and Australia against the decision
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by the Australian border force to reject Djokovic's medical exemption to the country's vaccination
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rule. During the ongoing court case on Monday, supporters of the tennis star and those protesting
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the vaccine mandates took to the streets in support. Now, after the court case, the protesters started
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chanting, free Nole, free Nole. Nole, of course, is how they call him in Serbia. And as they followed a car,
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which left Djokovic's lawyer's office, and were met with attacks from the Australian police
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through the use of pepper spray. Have a look at this.
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tyrannical in its crackdown on those protesting the lockdowns and the vaccine mandates. At LifeSite,
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we've covered the brutality of the Australian government and their police in handling the
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pandemic. You know, G.K. Chesterton once wrote,
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it's only by believing in God that we can ever criticize the government. Once abolish the God,
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and the government becomes the God. The fact is written across all human history,
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said Chesterton, but it's written most plainly across the recent history of Russia.
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Chesterton said that Lenin got it slightly wrong when Lenin said that religion is the opium of the
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the truth is that irreligion is the opium of the people. Whenever the people do not believe in
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something beyond the world, they will worship the world, end quote. And this is exactly what we see
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in the world today. Governments have become gods in the rise of this pandemic, dictating our lives,
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shutting down churches, and forcing us to take abortion-tainted shots. In Australia and around
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the world, the government has become God. And it's only because we have abolished God. The antidote
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to this tyranny and every tyranny is the same. It is faith in God. That is our strength. And Novak
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Djokovic has been very vocal about his faith. During the 2021 French Open, Djokovic was seen wearing a simple
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wooden cross, which is often seen dangling from his neck in many matches. After winning his exciting
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Wimbledon final against Matteo Berrettini on Sunday, July 11th, Djokovic looked skyward with arms open
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wide in Thanksgiving. For him, his religious beliefs come before his many titles that he's earned since
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the beginning of his career. In April 2011, when he received the Order of Saint Sava, the Saint of the
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Serbian Orthodox, in the first degree from the hands of Arrhenius, the patriarch of the Serbian
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Orthodox Church, which is the highest distinction in the Serbian Orthodox Church, Djokovic said, and I
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quote, this is the most important title of my life, because before being an athlete, I'm an Orthodox
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Christian, end quote. Ten days before the start of last year's Australian Open, past the stroke of
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midnight, Djokovic left his suite in the heart of Melbourne and took a 45-minute cab ride to a Serbian
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Orthodox Church of Saint Sava. And he was saddened by the silence and inactivity inside. He thought,
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of course, there was going to be a midnight mass. He attempted to open the door, but it was locked.
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So frustrated, he gave the door a good shove. And a light turned on, and then off, and then on again.
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And it was Father Vladislav Sipovac. And he was completing his preparations for service
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to be held later in the day. Now, Djokovic started banging on the door and checking his watch to make
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sure it had indeed moved past the witching hour, January 6th, morphing into the early hours of January
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7th. Father Sipovac was frightened. And why was someone banging on the door at this hour? So he opened
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the door, and standing on his doorstep was the most famous Serb on the planet. Djokovic apologized
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for the intrusion, and he asked if a midnight service was being held to commemorate the Orthodox
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New Year, and clearly the answer was no. Djokovic was rather crestfallen. But he was ushered inside by
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the priest, and Father Sipovac rushed to his car, drove home, changed into his priestly robes,
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and returned to pray over Djokovic. Djokovic occasionally jokes about his devotional practices
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with his comments like how he prays for plus fours when he's playing the card game Uno.
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And there's no doubt that the player takes his faith seriously. He could, of course, still use our
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prayers to be even more faithful to his Christian vocation. But he is vocal about his Christianity all
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the same. And including his values, even when they fly in the face of the masses, as we see clearly
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today. He married his longtime girlfriend, model Jelena Ristik, in 2014. And the couple has a baby
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son, Stefan, and a daughter, Tara. And regarding God's institution of marriage, he counseled his
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tennis compatriots, and I quote, I suggest to every player, get married, have kids. Let's enjoy this.
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Now, during this pandemic, the Serbian Orthodox Church hierarchy have notably not been wearing
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face masks in public and kept their churches open throughout the coronavirus crisis. Novak Djokovic
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was at a press conference and was asked how he comes re-energized after each break in each of his
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matches, so much so that commenters state that he comes back like a new person. I want you to listen
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I have no words, just saying. 84 tournaments, 19 slams, 35 wins in the fifth set.
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Nothing seems to be able to stop you. I'd like to know, when you go to the toilet, what happens?
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Because you go there, you come back after Musetti, two sets down, and you are another player.
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Then you go versus Nadal, same thing. With Berrettini, third set, you come back. Unbelievable.
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Today, Tsitsipas, says Novak Djokovic, he was another player when he came back. Do you meet
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San Sava, I mean, the big saint patron of Serbia, or what?
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Exactly. My angels are there. My guardian angels are there, and I have my special corner.
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It's a secret. I can't reveal the secret. It has been working for me pretty well.
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That is the secret to not only Nole's strength, but to the strength for all of us. This is a battle
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against the principalities and powers of darkness, and our way out is faith. Our way to victory is
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faith. For LifeSite News, this is John Henry Weston. May God bless you.
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