Novak Djokovic was “poisoned” by food he ate while detained during his 2022 Australian Open visa saga, the former world number one told GQ magazine in an interview published on Thursday.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s visa was canceled before the tournament after days of drama over Australia’s COVID-19 entry rules and his vulnerable status, and he was detained in a Melbourne hotel shared with asylum seekers.
“I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne I was being fed some foods that had poisoned me,” said Djokovic, who is known to strictly monitor his diet.
“I had some revelations when I got back to Serbia. I never told anyone this publicly, but the revelations that I made, I had a really high level of heavy metal. Heavy metals. I had lead, a very high level of lead and mercury.”
GQ said the Australian Department of Home Affairs declined to comment on the matter for privacy reasons.
Djokovic told the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne this week that he was still traumatized from his experiences three years ago and felt nervous upon arriving at the city’s airport.
The 37-year-old will begin his journey towards winning a 25th major title at the Australian Open next week.