Djokovic Admits to Sitting for Interview and Photoshoot Knowing He Had COVID

The most controversial player in tennis wants to clear the air. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic released a series of statements on Instagram Tuesday night hoping to “address the continuing misinformation” about his imbroglio with the Australian government over his vaccination status and the Australian Open. Responding to allegations that he attended multiple events after testing positive for COVID-19, Djokovic laid out a timeline of being exposed, testing negative, attending the events, and then testing positive via a more accurate PCR test. Even after learning he had tested positive, though, he still saw fit to sit for an interview and a photoshoot. He called this choice an “error of judgement” Tuesday. Australian officials are also investigating whether Djokovic intentionally made false statements about traveling in the 14 days before he arrived in the country. Djokovic claimed on the forms he had not done so, though photographic evidence showed he had. On Tuesday night he called this discrepancy an “administrative mistake” made by someone on his team. The day before, Djokovic won an appeal for release from immigration detention as he waits for a judge to issue a final ruling on whether he can stay in the country to compete in the Open.