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Novak Djokovic of Serbia smiles during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open at the Melbourne Park tennis centre in Melbourne on Jan 12, 2022
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MELBOURNE (REUTERS): Novak Djokovic said “human error” was behind a mistake on his documents for entry to Australia that breached its strict laws on reporting recent travel, as the Government weighed whether to deport the player.
Djokovic was held in immigration detention in Melbourne for several days after his visa was cancelled by border force officials, who questioned his medical exemption for a requirement to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
He was released on Monday when a judge quashed that decision, saying the cancellation of the visa was “unreasonable” because the player was not given time to consult lawyers and tennis officials when he arrived in the country.
On Wednesday, Djokovic said his travel declaration was filled in by his support team, who made an “administrative mistake” when they ticked the “no” box in response to whether he had travelled elsewhere in the 14 days before arriving in Australia.
“This was human error and certainly not deliberate,” Djokovic said in a post on Instagram.
“We are living in challenging times in a global pandemic and sometimes these mistakes can occur.”
The statement came as Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke considered whether to cancel the World number one tennis player’s visa ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on 17 Jan.
Djokovic, who is seeking to win a record 21st tennis major at the Open, said his lawyers had provided additional information to the Australian Government on Wednesday.
