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Novak Djokovic: the “error of judgment” of number 1 and the meetings he went to when he was affected by the Covid

Still in the crosshairs of the Australian authorities despite the fact that the cancellation of his visa was rectified and he was allowed to play the next Australian Open, Novak Djokovic rehearsed a kind of self-criticism. The number 1 of world tennis, in an Instagram post, Novak Djokovic, admitted to having met with a journalist when he knew that he was infected with covid-19, and described it as a “mistake of judgment.”

In a statement dated this Wednesday, Djokovic said: “I want to address the continued misinformation about my activities and my participation in events in December, in the run-up to my positive Covid test. This misinformation needs to be corrected, in particular with the idea of ​​reassuring the community about my presence in Australia and, I want to refer also to issues that have been very painful for my family”.

The Serbian player arrived last week in Australia with a medical exemption, since he is not vaccinated, and considered that he received that exemption because he tested positive for Covid on December 16, although the next day he appeared without a mask in the presentation of some stamps with his image and at an event for young tennis players in Belgrade, while two days later he attended an interview and photo session with the French sports daily L’Equipe ”.

Novak Djokovic and his coach, Goran IvanisevicKELLY DEFINA – POOL

In this context, the number 1 of the tour assured that received a positive PCR test result one day later, on December 17, after the meeting with the young people. Djokovic said he had a negative rapid antigen test on December 16, followed by PCR.

Djokovic already prepares in the central court of the Australian Open
Djokovic already prepares in the central court of the Australian OpenKELLY DEFINA – POOL

“I attended a basketball game in Belgrade on December 14, after which it became known that there was a group of people infected with Covid. Even though I had no symptoms, I did a rapid test that came back negative, and then, to be more cautious, I underwent an official PCR that same day. On the 17th I went to a tennis event in Belgrade, to meet with children, and previously I had an antigen test that came back negative. I was asymptomatic, I felt fine, and I did not find out about the positive of the PCR until after that encounter “, remarked Nole in his statement.

“On the 18th I was at my tennis school in Belgrade for an interview scheduled long ago with L’Equipe. The rest of the activities I canceled. I felt compelled to give that note so as not to harm the journalist, but I made sure there was social distance and wore the mask, and only took it off for photographs. When I returned home for the appropriate isolation, I realized that it was a judgment error and that he should have also canceled that commitment ”, added the Serbian.

The world's number 1 accepted that there was an error in the travel declaration that it presented to immigration officials
The world’s number 1 accepted that there was an error in the travel declaration that it presented to immigration officialsBernat Armangue – GTRES

Djokovic also referred to his questioned travel statement, in which it was not mentioned that he was in Marbella (Spain) before going to Melbourne, and in this sense he explained that “it was filled out by my team, as I explained to migration officer. My manager apologizes for mischecking my previous trip before going to Australia. This was human error, not deliberate at all. We live in difficult times within the pandemic and these are things that can happen. Today my team provided additional information to the Australian authorities to clarify this matter.”.

Novak Djokovic explained his situation in a statement on his social networks
Novak Djokovic explained his situation in a statement on his social networksKELLY DEFINA – POOL

Djokovic decided to address the controversies surrounding his attempt to play the Australian Open without being vaccinated. Number 1 was in the eye of the hurricane because of that decision, first, and then because of the ruling in the travel declaration presented, in which it omitted its passage through Marseille, and that could cost a sanction – deportation, the most serious- from the authorities of that country.

In fact, the player returned to training immediately in the central court of the Australian Open, a tournament that he won nine times and in which he starts as the top seed.

Although there is still a possibility that Djokovic will be expelled from Australia due to irregularities in his entry, his father Srdjan considered in Serbia that the case “is closed by the verdict of the Australian court”, in a legal battle that allowed him to remain for now. in that country. The government still has the possibility of canceling the visa again, but that is a decision of the Minister of Immigration, Alex Hawke, who has not yet ruled on the matter.

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