It has emerged that Djokovic and his wife Jelena are majority stakeholders in Danish biotech firm QuantBioRes.
They bought an 80 per cent stake in June 2020 – just months after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
QuantBioRes is looking to develop a treatment for COVID-19 and could launch human clinical trials later this year.
Ivan Loncarevic, chief executive of QuantBioRes, told the Financial Times that Djokovic was “not anti-vax”.
In a statement earlier this week, Djokovic claimed he was “extremely disappointed” with the court ruling and planned to take “some time to rest and recuperate” before making further comment.
The three Federal Court judges who upheld the cancellation of Novak Djokovic’s visa ruled that Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke was “not irrational” to indicate the world number one’s stance on COVID-19 vaccines may result in a “heightened community transmission”.
The nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic is not competing at this year’s event after failing to win his court battle.
The unvaccinated 34-year-old initially won an appeal against his deportation only for Hawke to use his Ministerial powers to cancel the Serbian’s visa again, citing “health and good order grounds”.
The judges claimed Djokovic “may influence people of all ages” to emulate him when references his opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.
“This is not fanciful; it does not need evidence,” the document added.
“It is the recognition of human behaviour from a modest familiarity with human experience.
“Even if Mr Djokovic did not win the Australian Open, the capacity of his presence in Australia playing tennis to encourage those who would emulate or wish to be like him is a rational foundation for the view that he might foster anti-vaccination sentiment.”
Djokovic could also miss the French Open at Roland Garros in May and June as France will require all players to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
