Djokovic claims he was ‘poisoned’ while detained in Australia

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has revealed in a recent interview with GQ that he believes he was “poisoned” while being held in an immigration detention facility in Melbourne ahead of the 2022 Australian Open.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, described how the food he was served in the hotel made him feel ill during his detention, after his visa was canceled due to his unvaccinated status amid strict Covid-19 regulations.

“I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne, I was fed food that poisoned me,” Djokovic said in the GQ interview, which was released on Thursday.

He added that upon returning to Serbia, tests revealed that he had a dangerously high level of heavy metals, including lead and mercury.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs declined to comment on Djokovic’s claims, citing privacy concerns.

When asked about the tennis star’s comments, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was not in office at the time, stated, “I haven’t seen those comments, so I’m not going to respond to comments that I haven’t seen.” He went on to wish Djokovic “all the very best on the court” during the upcoming Australian Open.

Djokovic also addressed his deportation from Australia, describing it as politically motivated rather than related to the vaccine or Covid-19. “It was so political. It had nothing really to do with the vaccine or Covid or anything else,” he said.

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“The politicians could not stand me being there. For them, I think it was less damage to deport me than to keep me there.”

Despite the ordeal, Djokovic emphasized that he holds no ill will toward Australia, where he has enjoyed much success on the court. “I actually love being there, and I think my results are a testament to my sensation of playing tennis and just being in that country,” he added.

The 37-year-old will begin his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, which starts Sunday.

Djokovic has already won the prestigious Melbourne tournament a record 10 times, most recently in 2023.