The Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has assured that it was “poisoned” with lead and mercury in his food during his brief detention in Australia in 2022 prior to his deportation from the country. Before the Australian Open that year, the former world number one’s visa was canceled and he was eventually deported from the country for refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
During his legal battle to stay in AustraliaDjokovic was detained in a hotel. «I had some health problems. And I realized that in that detention hotel they gave me food that poisoned me,” said the 37-year-old tennis player in a long interview with GQ magazine published on Thursday.
«I discovered things when I returned to Serbia. I have never said this to anyone publiclybut I discovered that it had a very high level of heavy metals. “It had lead, a very high level of lead and mercury,” he explained. Asked if he believed his food had been contaminated, the Serbian replied: “It’s the only way.”
An Australian Home Affairs spokesperson said he could not comment on individual cases “for privacy reasons.” His government stated that the food served in the hotel passed health controls and that samples of the different dishes were supplied to the contractor responsible for detention services.
A year after the controversy, Djokovic was able to return to Melbourne and raise his 10th Australian Open title. Starting Sunday, he seeks to add one more to his record and reach a record of 25 Grand Slams won.
The Serbian He assures that he has “no resentment” towards the country. “Many Australians that I have met in Australia in recent years or in other parts of the world have come to apologize for the treatment I received, because they were ashamed of their own government,” he said in the interview. “In fact, I love being here and I think my results testify to my feelings when playing tennis and being in this country,” he said.
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