Novak Djokovic apologizes for travel form error as Australia weighs whether to cancel his visa again

SYDNEY — Novak Djokovic apologized connected Wednesday for making a mistake connected an Australian question papers arsenic the country’s migration curate considers whether to cancel the tennis star’s visa for a 2nd time, conscionable days earlier the commencement of the Australian Open.

Djokovic, who was released from edifice detention connected Monday pursuing a five-day standoff with Australian officials implicit his introduction into the country, apologized connected Instagram for an mistake connected a question declaration form. The world’s top-ranked men’s subordinate said his cause mistakenly ticked a container saying Djokovic had not traveled successful the 2 weeks earlier arriving successful Australia.

“This was a quality mistake and surely not deliberate,” helium wrote. “We are surviving successful challenging times successful a planetary pandemic and sometimes these mistakes tin occur.”

The admittance adds to lingering uncertainty implicit Djokovic’s quality to stay successful Australia, which has enforced choky protocols astir coronavirus vaccination. Even arsenic the unvaccinated prima prepares to support his Australian Open title, helium could beryllium re-detained astatine immoderate infinitesimal and deported.

The saga is simply a slippery 1 for the Australian government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison initially embraced the determination to expel Djokovic, appearing to invited the accidental to displacement the nationalist treatment distant from soaring coronavirus cases to borderline information up of a national predetermination successful a fewer months. But the tennis player’s palmy tribunal entreaty was an embarrassment. And a 2nd effort to deport Djokovic could not lone deepen the dispute with Serbia but besides undermine 1 of Australia’s flagship sporting events.

Djokovic’s question declaration, which was among documents posted publically connected Monday arsenic portion of his tribunal hearing, had appeared to struggle with images and eyewitness descriptions of him successful Serbia and past Spain soon earlier helium flew to Australia.

Djokovic besides sought to wide up “misinformation” astir his affirmative coronavirus trial successful Serbia, which formed the ground for his petition for an exemption to Australia’s request that overseas visitors beryllium vaccinated against the virus.

The Serb said helium “felt obliged” to spell up with a Dec. 18 paper interrogation and photograph sprout contempt learning that helium had tested affirmative for the virus.

“On reflection, this was an mistake of judgement and I judge that I should person rescheduled this commitment,” helium said.

Djokovic had a disguise connected during the interrogation but took it disconnected and screamed for the photograph shoot, according to the journalist from L’Equipe, who said helium has since tested negative.

The apology came aft Der Spiegel published an investigation into Djokovic’s affirmative test, which was made nationalist arsenic portion of the tennis player’s visa cancellation appeal. The German paper reported that the trial effect mightiness person been “manipulated.” Other media person raised questions astir photos showing Djokovic astatine public, indoor events without a disguise aft helium took his test.

Djokovic obliquely addressed the reports successful his Instagram post, saying that helium needed to rebut misinformation “in the involvement of alleviating broader interest successful the assemblage astir my beingness successful Australia.”

The tennis subordinate wrote that helium had attended a hoops crippled successful Belgrade connected Dec. 14 astatine which a fig of radical contracted the virus. Djokovic said helium did not person immoderate symptoms but took a accelerated antigen trial and a PCR trial “out of an abundance of caution.”

The accelerated trial effect was negative, arsenic was different 1 helium took the pursuing time earlier attending an lawsuit with children. It was aft that lawsuit that helium received the affirmative PCR trial result, helium said.

He went up with the interrogation and photograph sprout the adjacent time due to the fact that “I didn’t privation to fto the writer down,” helium said.

The apology came arsenic Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Alex Hawke, said helium is inactive considering whether to usage his idiosyncratic powerfulness to cancel Djokovic’s visa.

“Mr. Djokovic’s lawyers person precocious provided lengthy further submissions and supporting documentation said to beryllium applicable to the imaginable cancellation of Mr. Djokovic’s visa,” a spokesperson for Hawke said successful a statement. “Naturally, this volition impact the clip framework for a decision.”

Djokovic has been practicing astatine the Melbourne Park sports analyzable up of the commencement of the Australian Open connected Monday. He is seeking to triumph a record-breaking 21st men’s singles Grand Slam title.

Though Djokovic has kept a debased illustration since his release, refraining from interviews and practicing down closed doors, his parents proceed to lambaste the Australian authorities implicit its handling of his case.

His father, Srdjan, called Morrison a “dictator” this week and asked Queen Elizabeth II — nominally Australia’s sovereign — to intervene. On Wednesday, Djokovic’s mother, Dijana, scoffed astatine the tournament’s vaccination requirement.

“If he’s healthy, if his PCR is negative, wherefore helium cannot play?” she told Australia’s Channel 7 News. “Are they acrophobic if helium coughs connected the tribunal he’s going to get ill, like, 10,000 people? It’s not true. It’s silly.”

She besides urged Australia to fto him compete.

“I recognize that this is not implicit yet and we are each praying that helium volition stay,” she said. “Don’t propulsion him out, helium is simply a tennis player, helium is not politician, helium is not a criminal, helium is not a murderer. He’s conscionable a tennis player, the champion successful the world. Just fto him play.”