Djokovic has not revealed his vaccination status but has said he is “opposed” to vaccines. 

But Nadal did not hold back in his verdict on the controversy, and the 20-time Grand Slam champion – who is level for career major titles alongside Djokovic and Roger Federer – laid the blame firmly on the Serbian’s own actions.

“[It] seems a rough situation, but at the end of the day the only thing I can say is we have been going through very challenging [times] and a lot of families have been suffering a lot during the last two years with all the pandemic.

“The only thing I can say is I believe in what the people who know about medicine say, and if the people say that we need to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine. That’s my point of view.

“I went through Covid. I have been vaccinated twice. If you do this, you don’t have any problem to play here. That’s the only thing.

“The only, for me, clear thing is if you are vaccinated, you can play the Australian Open and everywhere, and the world in my opinion has been suffering enough to [not] not follow the rules.”

The Spaniard, who enters the opening Grand Slam of 2022 down in sixth place in the world rankings ahead of his efforts to move ahead of Djokovic and Federer, did admit he had some sympathy for his great rival, but could not look past his belief that it was a situation made of his own doing.

“If he wanted, he would be playing here in Australia without problems,” Nadal added. “He makes his own decision. Everyone is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences.

“I don’t like the situation that is happening. In some way I feel sorry for him. But at the same time, he knew the conditions since a lot of months ago, so he made his own decision.”