Novak Djokovic broke isolation despite testing positive

The Serbian tennis player admitted in an Instagram post on Wednesday that he met with a journalist for an interview two days after testing positive for Covid on December 16.

"I accept that I should have rescheduled," he wrote. His activity is being investigated as the Australian government considers whether to deport him. He also blamed his agent in the post for a mistake on the travel form he used to enter Australia.

Djokovic is hoping to defend his Australian Open title next week despite being unvaccinated. If he wins the title, which will be his 21st grand slam, he will become the most successful male tennis player in history.

Yet he had his visa revoked on 6 January shortly after he arrived in the country amid questions over the vaccine exemption that permitted him to enter in the first place, keeping him de

On Monday, however, a judge dramatically overturned the decision and ordered the release of the player from detention.

The Australian government has not ruled out further action - and the possibility remains that the country's immigration minister could cancel his visa for a second time just days before the tournament begins.

Djokovic risks it for the media

In his Instagram post, Djokovic said he went ahead with the interview, with the French title L'Equipe, because he "didn't want to let the journalist down". "[I ensured] I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken," he said.

In an article, L'Equipe confirmed that the tennis star wore a mask the entire time, even when their reporter asked him to remove it for five minutes.

The journalist, Franck Ramella, said that he had been told not to ask Djokovic about his vaccination status or the upcoming Australian Open so he "therefore did not ask if he had considered doing a test". "Even if we did ask, what would be the point?" Ramella wrote.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Novak Djokovic (@djokernole)

Djokovic also admitted to making a false declaration on his entry form into Australia.

He claimed that his agent made an error when filling out a section of the form that covered his recent travel history. According to the form, he had not traveled in the 14 days preceding his arrival in Australia.

But recent reports suggest the 34-year-old had traveled to Serbia and then to Spain before the trip. "My agent sincerely apologizes for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box," he wrote. "This was a human error and certainly not deliberate."

"My team has provided additional information to the Australian government to clarify this matter," he added. Australia's Border Force, the nation's immigration officials, said on Tuesday they were investigating whether he had made a "false declaration" - which would be grounds for visa cancellation.

The men's professional tennis tour has urged players to get vaccinated and for more clarity on the rules for entering Australia.