FILE PHOTO: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic walks in Melbourne Airport before boarding a flight, after the Federal Court upheld a government decision to cancel his visa to play in the Australian Open, in Melbourne, Australia, January 16, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo
(Reuters) - Novak Djokovic was "poisoned" by the food he ingested while detained during his 2022 Australian Open visa saga, the former world number one told GQ in an interview released on Thursday.
The Serbian 24-times major winner had his visa cancelled ahead of the tournament following days of drama over Australia's COVID-19 entry rules and his unvaccinated status, and was detained in a Melbourne hotel shared with asylum-seekers.
"I realised that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed with some food that poisoned me," said Djokovic, who is known to monitor his diet strictly.
"I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discoveries that I was, I had a really high level of heavy metal. Heavy metal. I had the lead, very high level of lead and mercury."
GQ said Australia's Department of Home Affairs had declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy reasons.
Djokovic told Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper this week that he still has trauma from his experiences three years ago and feels stress arriving at the city's airport.
The 37-year-old begins his campaign for a record-extending 25th major title at the Australian Open next week.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Ed Osmond)
