MONACO—Walking back controversial statements about the Covid-19 crisis after a harsh backlash, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic clarified his anti-vaccine comments Tuesday by insisting he has always clearly supported having sponsors. “Look, I know some people took what I said out of context, but I am 100% supportive of being in commercials, and I would never do anything to jeopardize that,” said Djokovic in a press statement, going on to state that he would never want to give the public the false impression that he was someone who could not sell Seiko watches. “I think everyone who knows me recognizes that I’ve been very sympathetic to the brands, products, and services that pay large sums of money for me to endorse. It would be completely reckless for me to damage my relationship with Lacoste, and I hope they know that. Why would I want to make a public health disaster like coronavirus worse when that only limits my earning potential?” Djokovic ended the press release by inviting his fans to ask him whatever they wanted about the European migrant crisis or the Yugoslav wars of the ’90s.

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