Novak Djokovic faces Covid questions in three countries

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Novak Djokovic is facing a barrage of new questions amid allegations that the tennis player violated Covid rules in three countries.

A report claimed that Djokovic may have violated emergency travel rules in Spain when he visited Marbella last month.

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Novak Djokovic went to a basketball match between Belgrade and Barcelona on December 14, Credit: Getty

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Djokovic at a tennis court in Marbella days before his arrival in Australia Credit: Reuters

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Djokovic was stopped by Australian Border Force officials on January 5 Image: Associated Press

The Daily Mail says the 20-time Grand Slam champion may have breached the country’s entry requirements.

Spanish diplomatic sources were said to have confirmed that Djokovic failed to get approval before leaving Belgrade after Christmas. Last night the government ordered an investigation.

It comes as tennis still faces deportation from Australia for not being vaccinated and for submitting a false travel permit.

Djokovic’s PR team declined to comment, citing the “sensitivity and complexity” of the case.

The Serb admitted he had broken the rules of isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 and said it was a “miscalculation”.

The Serbian tennis star admitted, in an Instagram post, that he met a journalist two days after he contracted the virus in Belgrade, before arriving in Down Under.

He wrote: “I want to stress that I have tried very hard to ensure everyone’s safety and my compliance with my testing obligations.

“I attended a basketball match in Belgrade on December 14, after which a number of people were reported to have contracted Covid-19.

“Although I had no symptoms of Covid, I did a rapid antigen test on December 16 and it was negative, and out of great caution I also had an official, approved PCR test on the same day.

“The next day I attended a tennis event in Belgrade to present prizes to the children and had a quick antigen test before I went to the event, the result was negative.

“I was asymptomatic and felt fine, and only received notification of a positive PCR test after this event.

“The next day on December 18, I was at my tennis center in Belgrade to fulfill a long-term commitment to an interview and photo shoot from L’Equipe. All other events have been cancelled.

“I felt compelled to go ahead and do the L’Equipe interview because I didn’t want to let the journalist down.

“[I ensured] I socialized and wore a mask except when my picture was taken.”

travel shoes

Djokovic’s statement also addressed the critical error in his travel permit, which was published by the Federal Circuit and the Australian Family Court earlier this week.

The anti-Vaxer player ticked a box claiming he had not traveled to any other country in the 14 days prior to his departure from the Australian Open in Melbourne.

He attributed this to “human error” on behalf of his agent.

“With regard to my travel acknowledgment, this was submitted by my support team on my behalf – as I told immigration officials upon my arrival – and my agent sincerely apologizes for the administrative error in checking the incorrect box about my previous travel prior to my coming to Australia.”

“This was a human error and certainly not intentional. We live in difficult times in a global pandemic and sometimes these mistakes can happen.”

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Timeline of Djokovic’s travel schedule in the lead up to his arrival in Melbourne

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Djokovic poses with the youth at an event with the Tennis Association in Belgrade on December 17 Credit: Instagram

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