Novak Djokovic has claimed he was “poisoned” by lead and mercury in his diet while briefly detained in Melbourne in 2022 before being deported on the eve of the Australian Open.
The former world number one had his visa canceled and was ultimately expelled from the country for his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid.
He was held in a detention hotel while he fought an unsuccessful legal battle to stay.
“I had health problems. And I realized that in this hotel in Melbourne I had been given food that had poisoned me,” Djokovic, 37, told GQ magazine in a lengthy interview published Thursday.
“I made some discoveries when I returned to Serbia. I never told anyone publicly about it, but I discovered that I had a very high level of heavy metal. I had lead, a very high level high in lead and mercury.”
Asked if he thought his food was contaminated, the Serb replied: “It’s the only way.”
Djokovic refused to give further details on Friday in Melbourne when asked if he had evidence that his high blood levels of heavy metals were linked to the food he was given.
But he has not backed down on the poisoning allegations.
“The GQ article came out yesterday…I did this interview several months ago,” Djokovic said as he prepared to win an 11th Australian Open title and a 25th title of the Grand Slam.
“I would appreciate not talking about it in more detail because I would like to focus on tennis and why I am here.
“If you want to see what I said and get more information about it, you can always come back to the article.”
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Home Affairs said it could not comment on individual cases “for privacy reasons”.
But the government says a rental agreement with the Park Hotel where he was held provides freshly prepared, individually portioned lunches and dinners for detainees.
– No hard feelings –
All catering staff have obtained food safety certifications, it is stated.
And, as of December 31, 2021, the hotel provided the detention services contractor with samples of the food provided to inmates at each meal.
Australia says detainees had access to a variety of foods and drinks that were nutritious, culturally appropriate and met specific medical or dietary requirements.
They were also offered breakfast items such as bread, cereals, noodles, tea and coffee at any time of the day or night.
Djokovic insisted he had “no hard feelings towards the Australian people” despite the controversy of 2022. A year later, he returned to Melbourne where he won the title.
“Many Australians I have met in Australia in recent years or elsewhere in the world have come to me and apologized for the treatment I received because they were embarrassed by their own government to that time,” he said. in the GQ article.
“And I think the government changed, and they reinstated my visa, and I was very grateful for that.
“I actually love being there and I think my results are a testament to how great I feel about playing tennis and just being in this country.”
However, he added: “I have never met the people who kicked me out of this country a few years ago. I don’t want to meet them. If I ever do, that will be good too .I’m happy to shake hands and carry on.”
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