Novak Djokovic claimed he was “poisoned” by lead and mercury in food while briefly detained in Melbourne in 2022 before being deported on the eve of the Australian Open.
The former world No. 1 had his visa canceled and was ultimately kicked out of the country for refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
He was held in a detainee hotel where he fought a fruitless legal battle to stay.
“I had some health problems. And I realized that in this hotel in Melbourne I was served food that poisoned me,” said 37-year-old Djokovic GQ magazine in a wide-ranging interview published Thursday.
“When I returned to Serbia, I made several discoveries. I’ve never told anyone this publicly, but I discovered that I had a really high level of heavy metal. I had lead, very high levels of lead and mercury.”
When asked if he believed his food was contaminated, the Serb replied: “It’s the only way.”
A spokesman for Australia’s Department of Home Affairs said it could not comment on individual cases “for privacy reasons.”
However, the government claims that the rental agreement with the Park Hotel, where he was held, provides detainees with freshly prepared, individually portioned lunches and dinners.
All catering staff are said to have passed food safety certifications.
Additionally, as of December 31, 2021, the hotel provided samples of food provided to inmates at each meal to the contractor responsible for detention services.
Australia says detainees had access to a variety of food and drink that was nutritious, culturally appropriate and met specific medical or dietary requirements.
They were also offered breakfast items such as bread, cereals, pasta, tea and coffee at all times of the day and night.
When the first Grand Slam tournament of the season begins on Sunday, Djokovic will be seeking an 11th Australian Open title and a record 25th major title.
He insists that despite the controversy in 2022, he holds “no ill will towards Australians”. A year later he returned to Melbourne, where he won the title.
“Many Australians that I meet in Australia over the last few years or anywhere else in the world have approached me to apologize for the treatment I received because they felt embarrassed by their own government at the time,” he said. .
“And I think the government changed and reinstated my visa, which I was very grateful for.
“I actually love being there and I think my results are a testament to how good I feel playing tennis and just being in this country.”
But he added: “I have never met the people who deported me from this country a few years ago. I don’t feel like meeting them. If I do it one day, that’s fine too. I’m happy to shake hands and move on.”
