Serbia's Novak Djokovic has claimed that he was "poisoned" by lead and mercury in his food while he was briefly held in Melbourne in 2022 before being deported on the eve of the Australian Open.
"I had some health issues. And I realised that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed some food that poisoned me," the 37-year-old Djokovic told GQ magazine in a lengthy interview published Thursday.
The former world number one had his visa cancelled and was eventually kicked out of the country over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid. He was held in a detention hotel as he fought a legal battle to remain.
"I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discoveries that I had a really high level of heavy metal. I had lead, a very high level of lead and mercury."
But the government says a lease agreement with the Park Hotel where he was held provides for freshly cooked, individually portioned lunches and dinners for detainees.
Australia says detainees had access to a variety of food and drink that was nutritious, culturally appropriate and satisfied specific medical or dietary requirements.
They were also offered breakfast items such as bread, cereal, noodles, tea and coffee at any time of the day or night.
Djokovic will be bidding for an 11th Australian Open title and a record-setting 25th major when the season's first Grand Slam event gets underway on Sunday.
Ranked seven in the world, Djokovic won Olympic gold in 2024 but failed to collect a major for the first time since 2017, leaving his bid to better Margaret Court's all-time 24 Slam titles unfulfilled.
Beaten in the Melbourne semi-finals last year by eventual champion Sinner, he has enlisted the help of long-time rival Andy Murray as coach to try and help him achieve the feat.
Should he do so, it will be his 100th career title, just the third man in the Open era to reach the milestone behind Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).
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The former world number one had his visa cancelled and was eventually kicked out of the country over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid. He was held in a detention hotel as he fought a legal battle to remain.
"I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discoveries that I had a really high level of heavy metal. I had lead, a very high level of lead and mercury."
But the government says a lease agreement with the Park Hotel where he was held provides for freshly cooked, individually portioned lunches and dinners for detainees.
Australia says detainees had access to a variety of food and drink that was nutritious, culturally appropriate and satisfied specific medical or dietary requirements.
They were also offered breakfast items such as bread, cereal, noodles, tea and coffee at any time of the day or night.
Djokovic will be bidding for an 11th Australian Open title and a record-setting 25th major when the season's first Grand Slam event gets underway on Sunday.
Ranked seven in the world, Djokovic won Olympic gold in 2024 but failed to collect a major for the first time since 2017, leaving his bid to better Margaret Court's all-time 24 Slam titles unfulfilled.
Beaten in the Melbourne semi-finals last year by eventual champion Sinner, he has enlisted the help of long-time rival Andy Murray as coach to try and help him achieve the feat.
Should he do so, it will be his 100th career title, just the third man in the Open era to reach the milestone behind Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).
