Novak Djokovic blames agent for 'wrong information' given to Australian authorities

Novak Djokovic, the men's tennis world number one, admitted on Wednesday that the information provided by him to the Australian Border officials last week contained false information. The Australian government is still debating whether to again cancel the Serbian player's visa and deport him after he was released from detention earlier in the week.

The 34-year-old, who was held in detention for three days, was seen practicing on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday after he was cleared by the circuit court. He was released from his detention on Monday, but the Immigration minister is still deciding whether to cancel Djokovic's visa yet again if he proves to be a threat to the public.

Djokovic via a statement on his official Instagram page clarified the "misinformation" going around about his whereabouts after he tested positive for the Covid-19 on Dec 16. The 20-time men's singles Grand Slam player denied that he attended an event where he was seen with a group of children.

However, he admitted that he made the mistake of going through with an interview with French publication L'Equipe despite testing positive for Covid-19, which is a breach of his country's rules for infected people. Djokovic blamed his agent for the misinformation provided on his entry form, but claims it is excusable labelling it a "human error" in difficult circumstances.

"On the issue of my travel declaration, this was submitted by my support team on my behalf - as I told immigration officials upon my arrival - and my agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel before coming to Australia," Djokovic wrote.

"This was a human error and certainly not deliberate. We are living in challenging times in a global pandemic and sometimes these mistakes can occur. Today, my team has provided additional information to the Australian Government to clarify this matter."

At the moment, Djokovic is continuing his preparation for the Australian Open that gets underway on Jan 17. There is a possibility that the Australian Government could again cancel his visa and deport him if they feel he was not eligible for entry, and remains a threat to the public.