Novak Djokovic’s ‘I was poisoned’ claim disputed by food experts
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The 24-time grand slam champion was deported from Australia three years ago and claims his food was poisoned with lead and mercury. Novak Djokovic’s claim that he was “poisoned” during his time in a quarantine hotel in Australia has been disputed by food experts.
![[Djokovic faced questions about his claim on Friday]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/10/09/2025-01-10T055647Z_416517065_UP1EL1A0GIKCM_RTRMADP_3_TENNIS-AUSOPEN.jpg)
Djokovic was detained and subsequently deported from Australia ahead of the tournament three years ago after his visa was cancelled amid a row over his exemption for the Covid-19 vaccine. The former World No 1 was held in a hotel in Melbourne but now says he felt ill when he returned to Serbia and discovered a “very high level of lead and mercury” in his system.
![[Novak Djokovic at a press conference in Melbourne]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/10/09/10-7215c11afa8647bea07aaea65ba18636.jpg)
However, Djokovic’s suggestion that he must have ingested the metal by eating the meals he was served in quarantine has been described as “possible but very unlikely”. “It’s possible but very unlikely given how long he was locked up, while these meals were probably made in mass amounts and there haven’t been other reports as far as I know.”.
Djokovic, 37, held a pre-tournament press conference at Melbourne Park on Friday but refused to elaborate on his “poisoned” claim , instead referring questions to his GQ interview. “Look the article came out online yesterday. I think it’s a February issue, so it’s coming out in print version,” Djokovic said.
“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.”.
