Djokovic case: Allegedly positive PCR test in December
Craig Tiley, Head of Tennis Australia, has rejected mistakes made by his association in the Novak Djokovic case.
by SID
last edit: Jan 08, 2022, 09:14 am
n the immigration affair around Grand Slam record winner Novak Djokovic, a turnaround may be brewing. The world number one lawyers said in a court hearing on Saturday that their client was infected with the corona virus in December. The positive PCR test was dated December 16, which is the basis for the medical exemption.
The Australian Tennis Association had previously been innocent of the affair. In an internal video leaked to the Sunday Herald Sun newspaper, Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley praised the team's "incredible work" in handling the matter.
"There is a lot of finger pointing and a lot of blame, but I can assure you our team has done an incredible job," Tiley said on camera. He went on to say that the organization had chosen not to raise the issue publicly because of Djokovic's lawsuit. Tiley said his team "did everything they could, according to the instructions it was given."
Decision on Monday
Tennis Australia was previously accused of misleading the players through a memo published in the Australian media telling them that a recent infection was a reason for a temporary medical immunization waiver.
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Before leaving for Melbourne, 34-year-old Serb Djokovic, a vaccine skeptic, bragged on social media that he had been granted a waiver, which is generally believed to be due to his recent infection with the virus.
Djokovic has been stuck in a quarantine hotel since landing on Wednesday, and the Australian authorities have denied him entry because of apparently incorrect documents. A court should decide on Monday. Djokovic wants to defend his title at the Australian Open (from January 17).
Kyrgios is counting on Djokovic
Double specialist Renata Voracova, who shares the same fate as the superstar, told Czech media about the conditions in the Park Hotel in Melbourne: "They bring me food and there is a guard in the hallway. You have to report, everything is rationed. I feel a little like in jail. "
Djokovic received expressions of respect from the Australian tennis bully Nick Kyrgios. "If he's allowed to play at the Australian Open, he'll be unstoppable. I guess he's going to be pissed off," said Kyrgios on the sidelines of a preparatory tournament in Sydney: "You won't be that big a champion if you're not able to overcome such adversity. I'm sure he has come through much tougher times than spending a few more days in hotel rooms. "