I was poisoned before being deported in 2022'

Novak Djokovic has claimed that he was "poisoned" by lead and mercury in his food while he was briefly held here in 2022 before being deported on the eve of the Australian Open.

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The former world No. 1 had his visa cancelled and was eventually kicked out of the country over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid.

He was held in a detention hotel as he fought a fruitless legal battle to remain. "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 on Thursday. "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."

When asked if he believed his food was contaminated, the Serb replied: "That's the only way."

Djokovic refused to elaborate on Friday here when asked if he had any evidence that his high heavy metal blood levels were linked to the food he was given.