Novak Djokovic news: BBC report ‘casts doubt’ over timing of positive test

Australian Open
Novak Djokovic hitting during training

The story behind Novak Djokovic’s attempts to enter Australia with a vaccine exemption is still the subject of much debate, with the BBC now suggesting there are holes in the story provided by the world number one.

Djokovic was deported from Australia after government officials believed the presence of the Serbian star in their country could encourage anti-vaccine sentiment as he confirmed he has opted not to be inoculated against Covid-19.

The defending Australian Open champion needed to get a positive Covid test after his final appearance for Serbia in the Davis Cup on December 3rd and the middle of the month for him to apply for a medical exemption to enter Australia.

He got just that by producing evidence he tested positive for the virus on December 16th, even though he attended events with numerous people in attendance on the following two days.

Now the BBC has highlighted a theory that has been widely circulated on social media for the last few weeks, as they pointed out some issues in the story Djokovic and his legal team presented.

“BBC research has cast doubt on the timing of the positive Covid test Novak Djokovic used to enter Australia to try to compete in the Australian Open,” read their report.

“It was provided to exempt him from rules barring unvaccinated people.

“However, the serial number on his test on 16 December appears out of sequence with a sample of tests from Serbia over this period gathered by the BBC.

“It is also higher than for his second (negative) test result from six days later.

“His visa application was ultimately rejected, but not on these grounds.

“These findings raise questions over what impact a later positive test result would have had on his ability to enter Australia.”

The report went on to quote Djordje Krivokapic, a specialist in data and digital security, who suggested a technology glitch could explain why the numbers did not suggest Djokovic’s positive test was delivered on December 16th.

The BBC then concluded their story with this analysis: “We’ve put all our findings in this report to the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, as well as the government’s Office of Information Technology.

“We’ve tried on multiple occasions and through various channels, but have not yet had a response.

“We also contacted Mr Djokovic’s team and invited them to explain the discrepancies, but haven’t heard back from them.”

Novak Djokovic

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