Novak Djokovic claims he was 'poisoned' during COVID detention before Australian Open

Novak Djokovic stated in an interview with GQ magazine that the food he consumed while in detention during the 2022 Australian Open visa controversy was "poisoned." The former world No. 1 Serbian player had his visa canceled due to Australia's COVID-19 entry regulations and his unvaccinated status before the event, and was detained in a Melbourne hotel shared with asylum seekers.

He initially received a visa exemption, but it was subsequently revoked by the Australian Border Force, leading to the Serbian star's detention in the hotel. Djokovic told GQ, "I realized in that hotel in Melbourne that I ate some food that poisoned me. When I returned to Serbia, I had some findings. I never told anyone publicly, but I found very high levels of heavy metals in my body, particularly lead and mercury."

GQ reported that the Australian Department of Home Affairs declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy reasons. Djokovic called himself a "public threat" and became a "hero" for the growing anti-vaccination sentiment in Australia. He stated, "That's the real reason why I was deported from Australia. It was completely political, and had nothing to do with vaccines, COVID-19, or anything else. Just politics. Politicians couldn't tolerate me being there, and for them, deporting me was less damaging than allowing me to stay."

Australian Open chief executive Craig Tiley told reporters in Melbourne on Friday that he was not interested in discussing Djokovic's claims and was instead focused on the upcoming Grand Slam event. When asked about Djokovic's claims of being poisoned while detained in a Melbourne hotel, Tiley said, "Yeah, honestly, I'm not going to talk about that. That was over three years ago." When pressed further, Tiley said, "Not answering that question. I just don't want to talk about it. That was three years ago. We're just focused on putting on a great event now."

Djokovic told Melbourne's Herald Sun this week that he is still traumatized by the experience three years ago and felt stressed upon arrival at the city's airport. In the interview with GQ, Djokovic also talked about the days before his visa was canceled, when he was preparing for the Australian Open in Melbourne. He said, "I was staying in a rented house, and I had police following me everywhere, and there were helicopters circling above the center court where I was training. I wasn't allowed to go into the locker room, the main locker room. So they had to find a temporary locker room for me to change, shower, and then take me off the premises. So I was like a fugitive at the time."

Djokovic returned to Australia in 2023 and won his tenth Australian Open title. He said that his family still harbors resentment towards Australia over the 2022 saga, but he does not. He said, "I never held any grudges against the Australian people. On the contrary, actually, many Australians I met, both in Australia and elsewhere in the world, would come up to me and apologize because they were embarrassed about what the government did at the time. I think the government has changed, and they restored my visa, and I'm very grateful for that. There are new prime ministers, new ministers, new people, so I don't hold any grudges towards that. I really enjoy being there, and I think my results are a testament to how I feel about playing tennis and being in that country."

The 37-year-old will begin his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title next week. Ultimately, the Serbian's willingness to stand by his convictions cost him another opportunity to pursue the history he so craves.