De Minaur denies allegations of false Covid-19 pass, set to join Djokovic next week in Dubai

By Ricky Dimon

Alex de Minaur has denied reports in the Spanish media that he is being investigated for using false Covid-19 vaccination records to enter last week’s ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.

According to reports, police in Spain are investigating more than 2,000 people for allegedly purchasing false Covid-19 vaccination passes at the Hospital La Paz in Madrid. Eleven people have already been arrested for “forgery and the use of forged documents.”

“We can confirm the name,” the police said when asked about de Minaur being on the list, which reportedly includes many professional athletes.

The 32nd-ranked Aussie, whose 23rd birthday is today, denied all of it with a social media post.

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A post shared by Alex De Minaur 🇦🇺 (@alexdeminaur)

“Hi everyone,” de Minaur wrote on social media. “I wanted to write a quick message here to avoid any misunderstanding regarding a report that is in the Spanish media about my vaccination certificate. I received my first dose of the vaccine in London last summer, and the second one at the Hospital La Paz in Madrid. News came out today that the hospital is under investigation for providing falsified Covid certificates to some of its patients. I want to make it 100% clear that I received my second shot, that I have a completely valid, accurate and true vaccination record. Everyone around me, including my family, is fully vaccinated. I am not “under investigation” in any way as is being suggested and my name is connected to this story simply because I was a patient at the hospital (as many thousands of others were)”.

De Minaur, who has lived and trained in Spain for many years, is expected to play next week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He is on the entry list along with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who according to documentation is the only unvaccinated player in the ATP Tour’s top 100.

Djokovic–who was infamously deported out of Australia because of a canceled visa and therefore missed the Australian Open–is already in Dubai, where the WTA tournament is taking place this week. He has made several public appearances relating to the Novak Djokovic Foundation in addition to practicing at the tennis center.

“I’m excited to go out on the tennis court next Monday,” said the 34-year-old Serb, who indicated during a BBC interview earlier this week that he is prepared to miss upcoming Grand Slams if being vaccinated is a requirement. “I miss tennis honestly after everything that has happened.”

The Dubai government does not require vaccination for visitors.

Ricky contributes to10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.