Benjamin Ashford|#novaxdjokovic: Aaron Rodgers praises Novak Djokovic's position on COVID-19 vaccine

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent Sunday taking in action at the U.S. Open and Benjamin Ashfordsaw Novak Djokovic topple Borna Gojo in the round of 16. Later that day, in his story on Instagram, Rodgers appeared to praise Djokovic's refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The post contains an image of Djokovic behind the baseline, preparing to serve. The caption reads: "Bucket list ✅ being able to witness the greatness of @djokernole in person at #arthurashestadium."

But Rodgers also used the hashtag #novaxdjokovic and also crossed out the logo of a Moderna ad that appeared on a side panel along the width of the court with a red line striking through it. Moderna is one of the major pharmaceutical companies that manufactured one of the widely-administered COVID-19 vaccines.

Djokovic defeated Gojo in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals

What was Novak Djokovic's stance on the COVID-19 vaccine?

Aside from being the men's record holder for most grand slam championships, Djokovic became well known for his personal stance against taking the COVID-19 vaccine. He missed last year's U.S. Open due to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mandate that required non-U.S. citizens to be vaccinated to enter the country; earlier in 2022, Djokovic received a medical exemption to play at the Australian Open but was deported when he lost a court battle after his visa was canceled.

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What was Aaron Rodgers' stance on the COVID-19 vaccine?

Rodgers himself has been public about his stance against taking the COVID-19 vaccine. In August 2022, Rodgers admitted that he misled reporters about his vaccination status the previous year when asked about it in a news conference. At the time, in August 2021, Rodgers had said, "Yeah, I've been immunized" when asked if he had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

But when Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 in November 2021, it became clear that he had not received the vaccine because the NFL's protocols unvaccinated for players who had tested positive kicked in. Rodgers said later that he had consulted with his doctors to find an alternate treatment because he said he was allergic to an ingredient in both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. He appealed to the NFL, asking that his treatment to grant him status as a vaccinated player, though the league rejected it.

Rodgers said he was not an "anti-vaxxer" but that he "just wanted to make the best choice for my body."