麻豆社

Doubts have emerged on the timing of the positive Covid test Novak Djokovic used to enter Australia to try and compete in the Australian Open. 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 麻豆社. It is also higher than for his second (negative) test result from six days later. A German research group called Zerforschung first picked up on the discrepancy that the earlier test had a higher confirmation code than the later one.

Jake Horton, from the 麻豆社's Reality Check, explains that this is significant as a positive result would indicate he had had Covid and therefore had a suitably high level of antibodies, and give him exemption from needing a vaccination to enter Australia.

Photo: Novak Djokovic during a practice session ahead of the 2022 Australian Open, January 2022 Credit: Getty Images