Novak Djokovic Admits He Attended Interview While COVID-19 Positive Amid Australian Open Scandal
Novak Djokovic on Wednesday admitted that he attended a newspaper interview and picture shoot when he knew he was infectious with Covid-19 and blamed “human error” for an incorrect journey declaration.
“I wish to deal with the persevering with misinformation about my actions and attendance at occasions in December … significantly within the curiosity of assuaging broader concern locally about my presence in Australia,” the boys’s world tennis no. 1 mentioned in a press release posted on Instagram.
Djokovic mentioned he attended a basketball recreation in Belgrade on Dec. 14 and took a speedy antigen take a look at two days later, after discovering out quite a few folks had examined constructive on the occasion. That take a look at was unfavorable however he additionally took a PCR take a look at out of “an abundance of warning.”
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He attended a tennis occasion the subsequent day to current awards to youngsters, and was notified his PCR take a look at was constructive after the occasion.
Nonetheless, on Dec. 18, he attended an interview and photoshoot for a French newspaper.
“I felt obliged to go forward and conduct the L’Equipe interview,” he mentioned. “However I did guarantee I socially distanced and wore a masks besides when my {photograph} was being taken.”
“On reflection, this was an error of judgment and I settle for that I ought to have rescheduled this dedication,” he added.
Journey Paperwork
Djokovic additionally addressed hypothesis a few journey declaration submitted to Australian authorities indicating he had not traveled within the fortnight previous to arriving within the nation, when social media posts confirmed him in occasions in Serbia and Spain throughout that interval.
Within the Instagram publish, he mentioned his help workforce submitted the shape and his agent “sincerely apologizes for the executive mistake.”
“This was a human error and positively not deliberate,” the defending Australian Open champion mentioned.
The revelations come after an Australian courtroom quashed the cancellation of his visa, permitting him to play within the Australian Open Event that begins subsequent week. The federal government continues to be contemplating cancelling the unvaccinated participant’s visa.
The 34-year-old Serb on Wednesday mentioned he won’t be making additional touch upon the difficulty out of utmost respect for the Australian authorities and their authorities and the present course of.
