SYDNEY — Novak Djokovic apologized on Wednesday for making a mistake on an Australian travel document as Australia’s immigration minister considers whether to cancel the tennis star’s visa for a second time just days before the start of the Australian Open.
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Djokovic, who was released from hotel detention on Monday following a five-day standoff with Australian officials over his entry into the country, apologized on Instagram for an error on a travel declaration form. The world’s top-ranked men’s player said his agent mistakenly ticked a box saying he had not traveled in the two weeks before arriving in Australia.
“This was a human error and certainly not deliberate,” he wrote. “We are living in challenging times in a global pandemic and sometimes these mistakes can occur.”
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Djokovic’s travel declaration, which was among documents publicly posted on Monday as part of his hearing, had appeared to conflict with images and eyewitness descriptions of him in Serbia and then Spain shortly before he flew to Australia.
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Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, also sought to clear up “misinformation” about his positive coronavirus test in Serbia, which formed the basis for his request for an exemption to Australia’s strict requirement that foreign visitors be vaccinated against the virus.
The Serb said that he “felt obliged” to go ahead with a Dec. 18 newspaper interview and photo shoot despite learning that he had tested positive for the virus.
“On reflection, this was an error of judgement and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment,” he said.
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Djokovic had a mask on during the interview but took it off and screamed for the photo shoot, according to the journalist from L’Equipe, who said he has since tested negative.
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The apology came after Der Spiegel published an investigation into Djokovic’s positive test, which was also made public as part of the tennis player’s visa cancellation appeal. The German newspaper reported that the test result might have been “manipulated." Other media have raised questions about photos showing Djokovic at public, indoor events without a mask after he took his test.
Djokovic obliquely addressed the reports in his Instagram post, saying that he needed to rebut misinformation “in the interest of alleviating broader concern in the community about my presence in Australia.”
The tennis player wrote that he had attended a basketball game in Belgrade on Dec. 14 at which a number of people contracted the virus. Djokovic said he did not have any symptoms but took a rapid antigen test and a PCR test “out of an abundance of caution.”
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The rapid test result was negative, as was another one he took the following day before attending an event with children. It was after that event that he received the positive PCR test result, he said.
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He went ahead with the interview and photo shoot the next day because “I didn’t want to let the journalist down,” he said.
The apology came as Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Alex Hawke, said he is still considering whether to use his personal power to cancel Djokovic’s visa.
“Mr Djokovic’s lawyers have recently provided lengthy further submissions and supporting documentation said to be relevant to the possible cancellation of Mr Djokovic’s visa,” a spokesperson for the minister said in a statement. “Naturally, this will affect the timeframe for a decision.”
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Djokovic has been practicing at the Melbourne Park sports complex ahead of the start of the Australian Open on Monday. He is seeking to win a record-breaking 21st men’s singles Grand Slam title.
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