Novak Djokovic says he was ‘poisoned’ during deportation ordeal in Melbourne

Novak Djokovic has made a startling claim that he was “poisoned” while in Australia after a concerning find in toxicology tests.

Novak Djokovic has claimed he was “poisoned” by the food he ate while being detained in Melbourne ahead of the 2022 Australian Open.

The former world number one and ten-time Australian Open champion was confined to the Park Hotel in Carlton after his visa was cancelled by Immigration Minster Alex Hawke over over Australia’s Covid-19 entry rules and his unvaccinated status.

Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Three years on from the worldwide scandal, the 37-year-old dramatically revealed he became seriously ill on his way home due to the food he was fed in Melbourne.

“I realised that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed with some food that poisoned me,” Djokovic said in an interview with GQ.

“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.”

When pushed if he believed the illness had come from the food he ate while being detained, the Serbian shrugged and said “that’s the only way.”

Djokovic leaving the hotel he was detained in. (AAP Image/James Ross)

In a comment provided to GQ, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs declined to comment, citing privacy reasons.

After being deported from Australia, the 24-time grand slam champion says his health detoriated rapidly on the flight back to Serbia.

“Yeah, very sick. It was like the flu, just a simple flu. But when it was days after that a simple flu took me down so much,” he said.

Djokovic says the illness hit him so hard which resulted in his medical team taking toxicology tests from him.

Djokovic on his way home after being deported. (Photo by AFP)

Djokovic courted controversy over his actions during the covid pandemic. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Djokovic, who is on the hunt for an unprecedented 11th Australian Open title and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles trophy, said landing Down Under still leaves him feeling uneasy.

“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.”

In this file photo taken on January 13, 2022, Novak Djokovic of Serbia takes part in a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 13, 2022.

Despite widespread backlash, Djokovic has remained professional and stresses he has no lingering bitterness toward Melbourne despite the unfortunate ordeal. Three years on, the topic of Covid-19 vaccinations has almost evaporated among both the public and politicians.

“I don’t hold any resentment to be honest,” Djokovic said.

“I don’t hold a grudge. I came like right away the year after in 2023 … and I won the Australian Open — it was my 22nd slam. My parents and whole team were there, and it was actually one of the most emotional wins that I’ve ever had considering all that I’d been through the year before.”

The 2025 Australian Open officially gets underway on Sunday, January 12.

Originally published as Novak Djokovic says he was ‘poisoned’ during deportation ordeal in Melbourne