Djokovic said his decision was about "freedom to choose," even as he missed major tournaments and endured fierce public criticism. "That fundamental right … was taken away from a lot of people," he said.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic's decision not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine transformed him into "a villain of the world," he said in "Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter," an Amazon Prime documentary released Thursday.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion revisited the controversy in the film, which examines his career, his personality and some of the most contentious moments of his life in tennis.

"I was made [a] villain more than I ever have been before in tennis circles," Djokovic said. "Now I was a villain of the world."

It began in 2022, when Djokovic traveled to Australia to compete in the Australian Open, but was deported on the eve of the event.

Djokovic missed other tournaments — including the 2022 U.S. Open and Masters events. He also became the subject of intense media criticism and, later, of scrutiny from Moderna.

Djokovic said his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was not about opposition to vaccines.

"I never said I'm against vaccine or pro-vaccine," Djokovic said. "I am pro-freedom to choose what you are going to do with the integrity of your body."

'I was not vaccinated, but I had corona'

In January 2022, Djokovic traveled to Australia for the Australian Open after receiving a medical exemption from the tournament's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In the film, Djokovic said he believed he had met Australia's requirements because he had recently recovered from COVID-19.

"In order to travel to Australia, you either had to be vaccinated or, if you were not vaccinated, you had to give evidence that you had corona in the previous six months," he said. "I was not vaccinated, but I had corona twice in those six months, so I was eligible."