Djokovic defends movements before Open

Melissa Woods | January 12, 2022

While ramping up his preparations at Melbourne Park, world No.1 Novak Djokovic has denied that he knowingly lied on his visa application or attended sports events while potentially infectious with COVID-19.

Djokovic used social media to issue a statement addressing “hurtful “misinformation” about his movements before his flight to Australia.

The Serbian superstar, who had his visa cancellation overturned in the Federal Circuit Court, still faces the possibility of deportation with Immigration Minister Alex Hawke still reviewing the case.

The nine-time Australian Open claimed he tested positive for COVID-19 in December but stressed he wasn’t out in the community while knowingly infected — although he did admit he conducted an in-person interview on December 18 in what he says was an “an error of judgement”.

“I cancelled all other events except for the L’Equipe interview,” he wrote in a post on Instagram.

“I want to emphasise that I have tried very hard to ensure the safety of everyone and my compliance with testing obligations,” Djokovic wrote on an Instagram post.

Detailing his movements before his positive COVID-19 result was returned, he said he attended a basketball game in Belgrade on December 14.

He was asymptomatic but opted to take a rapid antigen test on December 16, then an official PCR test.

“The next day I attended a tennis event in Belgrade to present awards to children and took a rapid antigen test before going to the event, and it was negative,” he wrote.

“I was asymptomatic and felt good, and I had not received the notification of a positive PR test result until after that event.”