Reflecting on his 2022 detention in Melbourne prior to the Australian Open, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic alleges that his food was contaminated with lead and mercury during his brief stay. The Serbian champion made these claims regarding his time in detention, which occurred when Australian authorities canceled his visa due to his unvaccinated status against COVID-19. The incident culminated in his deportation from Australia just before the tournament was set to begin.

“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.” he said

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“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.” he added.

Australian authorities have detailed the food provisions at the detention facility, noting that all meals were sampled and monitored by their detention services contractor as of December 31, 2021. They maintain that detainees received nutritionally balanced meals that respected cultural preferences and accommodated medical and dietary needs. The facility also offered round-the-clock access to breakfast items including bread, cereal, noodles, and hot beverages.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Djokovic is preparing to compete for what could be both his 11th Australian Open championship and a historic 25th Grand Slam title. Despite the events of 2022, he has expressed that he bears no ill will toward Australians. This sentiment was reinforced by his triumphant return to Melbourne in 2023, where he emerged victorious.

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“A lot of Australian people that I meet in Australia the last few years or elsewhere in the world, have come up to me, apologising to me for the treatment I received because they were embarrassed by their own government at that point,” he said.

“And I think the government’s 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 my sensation of playing tennis and just being in that country.” he added.