Ben Rothenberg Profile picture
Jan 8, 2022 18 tweets 9 min read Read on X
A question lingering: if Djokovic was claiming a coronavirus positive in last six months as reason for an exemption, when did he get it?

According to BBC, his lawyers say that Djokovic tested positive very recently, less than a month ago, on December 16.

bbc.com/news/world-aus…
December 16 was a busy day for Djokovic:

In addition to purportedly getting a PCR test for Covid that came back positive, Djokovic also was part of a maskless, indoor panel discussion and attended a maskless, indoor ceremony for a stamp being made in his honor on that day. ImageImageImage
A positive test on December 16 would have come too late for the Tennis Australia exemption process deadline as described to players.

According to Tennis Australia documents, the deadline for applying for an exemption had been nearly a week earlier, “no later than” December 10. Image
There’s more:

On December 17th, the day *after* Djokovic’s purported positive PCR test on December 16th, Djokovic attended an award ceremony for children at the Novak Tennis Center.

Many posts from the kids there posing for pictures with him that day, again masklessly indoors. ImageImageImageImage
The court filing isn't totally clear on if December 16 was date the PCR test was administered or if it was day he got his results back (or both, results can often be gotten within hours now).

"the date of the first positive COVID PCR test was recorded on 16 December 2021"...
...but this all also begs the question: around December 16, with only a month left until the #AusOpen began, what was Djokovic planning to do if he *didn't* get a positive test for Covid?

Was that somehow his plan for getting into the #AusOpen? Contracting a disease? Truly odd.
One more item to add to this timeline:

On December 18th, two days after his purported positive PCR test on December 16th, Djokovic did a photoshoot with L’Equipe. Image
NEW:

Novak Djokovic’s positive PCR test which he submitted to Melbourne court states that sample was taken and positive result returned on December 16, 7 hours apart.

This means all those pictures of Djokovic maskless with kids on the 17th came AFTER his positive Covid result. Image
For timeline completeness:

Djokovic produced a negative PCR test dated December 22nd. Image
Folks, it gets fishier.

Djokovic’s presented positive Covid test from December 16 (confirmation code 7371999-259039) comes with a QR code on it.

When you scan that QR code (and you can try yourself), it takes you to a website showing that test was *negative*, not positive.

🤷 ImageImageImage
And now I *just* tried it again and it says the opposite thing for the same test: positive.

Who is messing with this website? Image
(Folks are getting a mix of positive/negative results from this same QR code now, I don't know what to make of it beyond it being bizarre.)
Djordje Djokovic, Novak’s youngest brother, was asked about this today in Belgrade and promptly ended the press conference.
NEW:

More document trouble for Novak Djokovic.

On his Australian Travel Declaration, released by federal court yesterday, Djokovic stated he had NOT traveled in 14 days prior to his Jan 6 arrival here.

In fact, Djokovic had traveled from Belgrade to Spain within that time. ImageImageImageImage
ATD form forewarns on that specific question:

“Note: giving false or misleading information is a serious offence. You may also be liable to a civil penalty for giving false or misleading information.”

If there is intent in the government to re-examine his visa, this could hurt. Image
(This is one of the correct reactions to this document, yes.)
More new here:

According to attachment to Djokovic's affidavit, border officers noted Djokovic said Tennis Australia had "completed the Australian Travel Declaration on his behalf."

Djokovic remains culpable for its accuracy, but *man*, TA wasn't doing him favors lately, huh? Image
...or did TA?

A flustered Djokovic gave conflicting answers about this during his airport interrogation, naming "the government" or his agent.

He was sure, though, that he hadn't done it himself...which he may just want to do in the future for a straightforward form like this. ImageImageImage

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More from @BenRothenberg

Feb 28, 2023
Three-time champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from ATP 1000 Indian Wells, where he made the final last year.

Nadal's incredible streak of nearly EIGHTEEN straight years of never leaving in the top 10, dating back to April 2005, will likely end in March.

Unreal record.
Not impossible; Nadal could be slated to face Djokovic in the fourth round at Roland Garros if he’s seeded anywhere in the #13-#24 range.
But Nadal is already gearing up for clay, as seen in video yesterday.

His lead-up results were pretty mid (by his standards) last year, with just a Madrid QF and a Rome R3, so he doesn't have much to defend if he's healthy and ready for the clay season.

Read 4 tweets
Feb 27, 2023
Things complicated for Novak Djokovic, as you may’ve heard, but he never meaningfully stopped being ATP’s best player and surpassed Graf’s pro singles record today with his 378th week at #1.

Next target, if he wants it? Mike Bryan has a whopping 506 weeks at ATP #1 in doubles…
Adding women's records to the Djokovic conversation--which has been embraced as he approached this Graf mark in recent weeks--adds some other interesting new targets.

Most obviously, Serena's record 23 pro slam singles titles, which Djokovic's 22 trails by just one...
...Djokovic still trails distantly in other categories, particularly the most overall singles titles.

1) Navratilova - 167
2) Evert - 157
3) Connors - 109
4) Graf - 107
5) Federer - 103
6) Lendl - 94
7) Djokovic - 93

Reflective of eras when Slam weren't the be-all GOAT metric…
Read 4 tweets
Aug 15, 2022
On an unfortunate incident at #CincyTennis yesterday:

During the first set of the women's qualifying match between Anna Kalinskaya and Anastasia Potapova, one of the players complained to the WTA chair umpire, Morgane Lara, about a woman sitting in the stands...

(1/12)🧵
This spectator was named Lola.

She lives near the #CincyTennis tournament in Mason, OH, and was sitting with a Ukrainian flag draped around her body. Lola also wore a vinok, which is a Ukrainian floral wreath crown.

Lola was not saying anything, watching the match silently... Image
...but after the Russian player complained to the umpire, the umpire descended from her chair and confronted the fan about her presence with the flag, telling her it was "not nice"...to be sitting with the flag.

Lola responded that it was "not nice to invade a country."
Read 12 tweets
Jul 2, 2022
MY GOD THEY DIDN'T SHOW THE HANDSHAKE WTF
They didn't show the handshake in these slo-mo replays of the end of the match, either.

I seethe profusely.

#Wimbledon
Read 5 tweets
Jul 2, 2022
After winning the second set, Kyrgios saying he wants Tsitsipas defaulted for hitting a ball into the crowd and hitting someone.

Tsitsipas got a code violation warning.

Kyrgios calls for the supervisor, then wants more supervisors (lol).

"I want all of them!"
As replay shows, Tsitsipas did indeed backhand a ball into the crowd.

Couldn't tell at first look if it hit or injured anyone.

#Wimbledon
Tsitsipas has his own complaints about Kyrgios monopolizing towel spaces (lol).

"Which color is mine? The gentleman here has occupied half of them."

#Wimbledon
Read 4 tweets
Jan 16, 2022
Doing some digging into precedents, it seems clear that the Djokovic deportation is delaying the #AusOpen scheduling release considerably.

In both 2017 + 2018, the Day 1 OOP was released on Saturday evening; it's now Sunday afternoon.

This is holding the other players in limbo.
(Periodic and important reminder that Djokovic could have avoided all this rigamarole by simply getting vaccinated like 97%+ of his tennis player peers have.)
Hasn't really been discussed during this whole fiasco, but I have to think this entire debacle would severely undermine Djokovic's ability to be seen as a selfless, uniting leader for players under the PTPA movement. There's considerable resentment for him hijacking the event.
Read 6 tweets

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