Serbia: Djokovic’s corona tests were legitimate

The positive corona tests of tennis player Novak Djokovic that were submitted to the Australian authorities last month were legitimate, the Serbian authorities reported on Wednesday. The claim came after a report from the BBC and other media questioning the authenticity of the documents.

Serbia’s prosecutor’s office said there was no evidence that the tests had been tampered with after an investigation by the country’s health ministry. “It has been established that Djokovic has been tested several times and that the test results of December 16 and 22 were valid,” the statement from the Public Prosecution Service said.

The statement comes just days after the BBC published a statement expressing doubts about the tests. It was suggested that the serial numbers on the documents did not match those of other documents from approximately the same period.

The 34-year-old number one in the world was unable to participate in the Australian Open after he was expelled because he was not vaccinated against the corona virus. Djokovic was nevertheless initially granted an exemption from the authorities, because he tested positive for the corona virus weeks before the tournament.

On Thursday, Djokovic will meet Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, at which the tennis player is expected to give a short speech.