Record-breaking Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic revealed that he was poisoned in a Melbourne quarantine hotel in Australia before his deportation in 2022. The Serbian athlete claims that toxicology tests showed elevated levels of lead and mercury in his blood.

“I experienced some health issues and realized that in that Melbourne hotel, I was served poisoned food. I’ve never spoken about this publicly before, but test results showed extremely high levels of heavy metals: lead and mercury. At first, it felt like the flu, just an ordinary flu. But after a few days, I felt much worse and had to undergo toxicology tests,” Djokovic shared in an interview with GQ magazine.

A representative of the Australian Department of Home Affairs declined to comment on Djokovic’s statement, citing confidentiality reasons.

Earlier, during a press conference ahead of the Australian Open, Djokovic avoided providing evidence of the alleged poisoning. “I gave that interview many months ago. I wouldn’t like to go into details now because I want to focus on tennis,” said the Serbian player.

In 2022, Djokovic faced issues with Australian authorities over entry rules amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He arrived in Australia on January 5, but his visa was soon canceled by border authorities. Although a court reinstated his visa on January 10, it was annulled again by the Minister for Immigration on January 14. Djokovic, who was unvaccinated against COVID-19, claimed to have recovered from the virus in December 2021. However, he could not provide documentation confirming a medical exemption from vaccination, leading to his detention in a Melbourne immigration facility and subsequent deportation.

Djokovic spent five days in the Park Hotel in Melbourne before leaving the country. The hotel, which accommodates refugees, has previously been reported to serve food infested with maggots. Djokovic had earlier told Melbourne’s Herald Sun that he remains traumatized by the experience and feels stressed whenever he returns to Australia.

Djokovic, 37, is currently ranked seventh in the ATP rankings. Over his career, he has won 99 ATP titles, including a record 24 Grand Slam victories. The Serbian athlete is a seven-time ATP Finals champion and the 2010 Davis Cup winner. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Djokovic defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the final with a score of 7:6 (7:3), 7:6 (7:2), earning his first Olympic gold medal. At 37 years and 74 days old, he became the oldest Olympic champion since tennis was reintroduced to the Games in 1988.

The first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open, will take place from January 12 to 26, 2025. Djokovic will begin the tournament with a match against American player Nishesh Basavareddi.

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