New Delhi: Tennis star and the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, has reportedly alleged that he was ‘poisoned’ during his quarantine in Australia in January 2022. Ahead of the Australia Open 2022, Djokovic was detained after he admitted to providing false information on a travel document. After the cancellation of his visa, the player was deported from Australia.
During the legal proceedings into the matter, he was confined to a hotel in Melbourne. His visa was revoked amid controversy surrounding Australia’s strict COVID-19 entry rules. His unvaccinated status had led to the revoking of the visa.
“I had some health issues,” Djokovic said in an interview to GQ. “I realised that in that hotel in Melbourne, I was fed with food that poisoned me. That’s the only way it could have happened.” He claimed that his symptoms resembled a severe flu.
He revealed that toxicology tests conducted upon his return to Serbia showed alarmingly high levels of heavy metals. He claimed that traces of lead and mercury were found in his system.
The tennis star had to miss the 2022 Australian Open after being deported. The controversy also prevented him from competing in the US Open that year. Djokovic returned to Australia in 2023, securing his 10th Australian Open title. He claims that the experience has left him with lingering trauma. “The last couple of times I landed in Australia, going through passport control brought back memories of three years ago,” Djokovic told the Herald Sun. “I still feel uneasy when passing through immigration,” he added.
Djokovic has, however, emphasised that he holds no grudges against Melbourne or Australia. “I have (some trauma) to be quite frank,” Djokovic told the Herald Sun.
“The last couple of times that I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration – I had a bit of trauma from three years ago. And some traces still stay there when I’m passing passport control, just checking out if someone from immigration zone is approaching. The person checking my passport – are they going to take me, detain me again or let me go? I must admit I have that feeling,” he added.
