Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic admitted he made a "miscalculation" when he decided to attend an interview with a French journalist when he was infected with the Corona virus.
And Djokovic published a statement today, Wednesday, in which he said that he attended a tennis event for children the next day, after he was confirmed to be infected with the Corona virus.
"It was only after that event that I received a positive notification of my test result," the statement said.
"The next day, on December 18, I was at my tennis center in Belgrade, to fulfill the obligation to give an interview to L'Equipe and take pictures, I canceled all other appointments except for the L'Equipe."
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"I felt compelled to go ahead and do the interview with L'Equipe, because I did not want to disappoint the journalist, but I maintained social distancing and wore a muzzle except for the photo session," Djokovic added.
He added, "When I returned home after the interview to isolate myself for the required period, and after deep reflection, I saw that this was a miscalculation, and I accepted that I should have rescheduled the interview and took pictures."
Administrative error
On the other hand, Djokovic admitted that his assistant team had committed an “administrative error” when filling out the form required to travel to Australia, as he marked the “No” box in answer to a question related to his travel to anywhere in the last 14 days before coming to Australia, which is contrary to The country's strict regulations in disclosing travel history before coming.
Controversy arose over Djokovic's movements before coming to Australia when comments appeared on social media confirming that the player was in Belgrade less than two weeks before moving to Spain and then Australia.
Djokovic stayed for several days in Australia's Department of Immigration detention after his visa was revoked by border officials who questioned whether he was entitled to a medical exemption to enter despite not having provided proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
A court released Djokovic on Monday after a judge overturned the decision to cancel his visa, saying the decision was "not justified" because the player did not have enough time to consult with his lawyer and tennis officials upon arrival in the country.
possible punishment
Djokovic's statement comes at a time when Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawk is still considering the possibility of canceling the entry to the world number one before the start of the Australian Championships on January 17.
Australian law states that giving false information on an entry form can result in a sentence of up to 12 months in prison and a fine of up to A$6,600 ($4,730) and can result in the visa being revoked.
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Djokovic, who is looking to set the record and win his 21st Grand Slam title, said his defense team submitted additional information and documents to the Australian government today to clarify the situation.
A spokesman for Hook - who again has the power to revoke Djokovic's visa - added that the minister was still discussing the situation, a process whose time may be increased after new information is provided.
The case of Djokovic has caused a problem between Australia and Serbia, and the issue has become a preoccupation for opponents of mandatory vaccination around the world, and the office of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that it had a telephone conversation with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic the day before yesterday, Monday.