Novak Djokovic’s pre-Australian Open press conference descended into acrimony as he refused to answer questions about his assertion that he was ‘poisoned’ here three years ago.
Melbourne awoke on Friday to an interview Djokovic had done with GQ magazine, in which he claimed that the food he had been given prior to his deportation in 2022 had left him with a ‘very high level of lead and mercury’.
The issue was not raised during the main body of his press-conference but just as he was about to leave the room an Australian reporter demanded to know whether he had any evidence that his illness was caused by the food he was served while in detention.
‘The GQ article came out online yesterday,’ said Djokovic. ‘I’ve done that interview many months ago. I would appreciate not talking more in detail about that, as I would like to focus on the tennis and why I’m here.
‘If you want to see what I’ve said and get more info on that, you can always revert to the article.’
A television reporter shouted out, demanding that Djokovic address what is becoming a big topic in Australia, but the 38-year-old was already walking towards the door.
Novak Djokovic made the shock claims that he was ‘poisoned’ while in Australia back in 2022
Djokovic recently revealed he still feels ‘trauma’ when he visits Melbourne after his deportation
He is set to compete at his first grand slam in partnership with his new coach Andy Murray
In 2022 Djokovic was denied entry to Australia to compete in the Open because he was not vaccinated against Covid 19. He was detained for several days and has often complained about the conditions in which he was kept.
Djokovic discussed that time during his GQ interview, saying: ‘When I got home, I had some health issues. And I realized in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed with some food that poisoned me.
‘I never told this to anyone publicly but I discovered that I had a really high level of heavy metal, very high level of lead and mercury.’
Asked if that had come from the food he was given in Australia, he replied: ‘That’s the only way.
‘I was very sick. It was like the flu but when it was days after that a simple flu took me down so much, I had an emergency medical team treat me at home and I had to do toxicology tests.’
It is not uncommon for food to be contaminated by traces of lead and mercury but until Djokovic takes the opportunity to clarify his point – an opportunity he was afforded on Friday – the use of the word ‘poisoned’ could suggest he believes his food was deliberately tampered with.
Nick Kyrgios has formed a close bond with Djokovic ever since backing him during the deportation saga, and the Aussie once again came to his friend’s defence.
Asked if he had spoken to Djokovic about the ‘poison’ claim, Kyrgios replied: ‘I haven’t spoken to him. I didn’t even know. We (Australia) treated him like s***, that’s for sure. We shouldn’t have done that.’
Djokovic was detained for several days in 2022 as he was not vaccinated against Covid-19
Fellow tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been openly critical of Djokovic’s treatment in 2022
Djokovic’s deportation in 2022 became a hugely political issue, and earlier this week Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticised the former federal government’s handling of the case.
‘I found it astonishing that in the lead-up to Christmas, Novak Djokovic was denied by the then-federal government the opportunity to see his Orthodox minister, priest during that period,’ he said. ‘That was something that I think was hard to justify.’
A statement from the Australian Border Force said: ‘The Park Hotel (where Djokovic was detained) was certified and licenced by City of Melbourne as a food service premises and were subject to auditing and inspection by the Department Health. All staff in the catering team had undertaken food safety certifications.
‘Menu options were provided to allow detainees to make a choice from various proteins, vegetables, salad and rice and pasta dishes.’
