BUDBA, Montenegro – Novak Djokovic was honored Friday at a small Adriatic resort in Montenegro, despite doubts about the positive COVID-19 test he used in his bid to compete in the Australian Open.

The BBC reported discrepancies in the serial numbers of tests performed by Serbian authorities on Djokovic in the days before his trip to Australia, suggesting possible irregularities in the way they were conducted.

Djokovic’s team and the Serbian Institute of Public Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press. Senior Serbian health officials have previously said that Djokovic’s test was valid and was issued by a competent institution.

Djokovic was expelled from Australia and banned from playing in the Australian Open earlier this month after an 11-day epic on the eve of the tournament for failing to meet Australia’s strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

To enter Australia, Djokovic took a positive test for COVID-19 issued in Serbia on December 16th for a visa waiver on the grounds that he had been exposed to COVID-19 before the tournament.

The 34-year-old is unvaccinated and the Australian government then decided to cancel his visa and deport him, saying his presence in Australia could spark anti-vaccination sentiment.

Djokovic said he would not make public comments until after the tournament in Australia.

Hundreds of people cheered outside the municipal building in the small Adriatic town of Budva on Friday when Djokovic arrived to receive a plaque that made him an honorary citizen of the town.

Senior local official Marko Karevic also described Djokovic as an Orthodox Christian, expressing gratitude for his help in “preserving the Serbian people and the Serbian Church in Montenegro”.

Djokovic is worshiped in his homeland, Serbia, and by Serbs in neighboring Montenegro, a small nation of about 620,000. Since returning home, Djokovic has been seen in churches and attending services in Serbia and Montenegro.

A video posted on social media shows a masked Djokovic communicating with Serbian Patriarch Porfirie at an Orthodox Christian holiday, using the same spoon as his fellow Christians in a Belgrade church.