Novak Djokovic admitted on Wednesday that he made “mistakes” in filling out his entry form to Australia and in his behavior following testing positive for Covid-19 in December. In a message posted on Instagram, the world tennis number one, unvaccinated, said his team had provided additional information to the Australian authorities, who must decide on the possible cancellation of his visa and his deportation, following an episode resounding where the champion spent several days in a detention center for migrants.
“We live in difficult times in a global pandemic and sometimes mistakes do occur,” pleaded Djokovic, who is currently training to participate in the Australian Open from Monday … While his participation is still pending .
Djokovic was seen in public in Belgrade the day following December 16, when he tested positive according to information he provided to Australian immigration officials. He explained that he had not yet received the result of his test, carried out the day before, when he appeared in public that day. After a negative antigen test carried out on December 16 in parallel with the PCR test, he participated, on the 17, in the launch of a stamp in Serbia and in a meeting with young tennis players. Photos released by the Belgrade Tennis Federation showed Djokovic with federation officials and around 20 teenagers, all without masks. The player assures to have carried out before this meeting a second antigenic test, also negative.
“I had no symptoms and felt fine, and had not received notification of the positive PCR test until the end of this event,” he explains.
Djokovic recognizes on the other hand an “error of judgment”, that of having received, then asymptomatic patient, journalists of the French daily newspaper L’Equipe for an interview. “I felt compelled to continue and do the L’Equipe interview because I didn’t want to let the journalist down, but I made sure to respect social distancing and wear a mask, except when my portrait was done. “, He explained. “On reflection, it was an error in judgment and I admit that I should have postponed this engagement”.
“Djoker” also pleads “human error” to have ticked the wrong box in the form to enter Australia. The latter has been widely publicized by Australian media, and shows the player checking the box confirming that he has not traveled in the 14 days prior to arriving in Australia on January 5. However, the player was, in these two weeks, in Serbia then in Spain. “My agent sincerely apologizes for this administrative error in checking the wrong box regarding my trips prior to my arrival in Australia.”
