The allegations against Novak Djokovic do not stop. The tennis superstar has now made detailed statements for the first time – including the false information on his entry form to Australia.
Under pressure from the Australian authorities, Novak Djokovic admitted “errors” in his entry information and in his behavior after an alleged corona infection. “We live in difficult times of a global pandemic and sometimes mistakes like this can happen,” the unvaccinated 34-year-old said in a statement he posted on social media on Wednesday.
Djokovic also defends himself against “misinformation”
The tennis star, who despite a partial victory in court on Monday still has to fear that his visa will be revoked again and that he will not be able to play the Australian Open from January 17, said that additional information was available to the local authorities to clarify the matter to have asked. He also fought against “misinformation”, which he had to clarify in order to alleviate the concerns of the people in Australia and to protect his family.
However, he admitted that he had an appointment with the French sports newspaper L’Equipe on December 18, despite knowledge of a positive corona test on December 16. In retrospect, this was a “misjudgment”.
“Although I went home after the interview and went into isolation for the prescribed length of time, after thinking more carefully, that was a misjudgment and I understand that I should have postponed this commitment,” he wrote.
The tennis star did not want to let the journalist down, always kept his distance and, except for the photo shoot, wore a mask, he said. Before another publicly discussed appointment on December 17 with children, he did not yet know about the positive corona findings and completed a rapid test that turned out negative.
He also admitted that he had inadvertently given incorrect information about his travel activities on his immigration form before the flight to Melbourne. His management is responsible for this “human and certainly not deliberate” mistake. Out of respect for the Australian government and the ongoing proceedings, he will not make any further information in public.
Djokovic’s participation in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year has not yet been finally clarified. Immigration Secretary Alex Hawke continues to check whether he will withdraw the sports star’s visa a second time. However, a decision should not be made before Thursday. The Australian news agency AAP reported on Wednesday.
The new information from the 34-year-old Serb’s lawyers had postponed the time frame, said the office of Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke. Other documents had been submitted that could prove relevant to a possible cancellation of Djokovic’s visa. “That will of course affect the time frame for a decision,” it said.
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