Novak Djokovic refuses to answer questions about bombshell ‘poisoning’ claims while in vaccine ‘jail’ in 2022 in acrimonious pre-Australian Open press conference

Novak Djokovic’s pre-Australian Open press conference descended into acrimony when he refused to answer questions about his claim he was ‘poisoned’ here three years ago.

Melbourne woke up on Friday to an interview Djokovic had done with GQ magazine, in which he claimed the food he had been fed prior to his deportation in 2022 had left him with “very high levels of lead and mercury.”

The issue was not raised during the main portion of his press conference, but just as he was about to leave the room, an Australian reporter demanded to know if he had any evidence that his illness was caused by the food fed to him during his captivity was served.

“The GQ article came online yesterday,” Djokovic said. “I did that interview many months ago. I would appreciate not talking about that in more detail as I would like to focus on the tennis and why I am here.

“If you want to see what I said and get more information about it, you can always go back to the article.”

A television reporter shouted and demanded that Djokovic address what is becoming a big topic in Australia, but the 38-year-old was already heading for the door.

Djokovic recently revealed he still experiences ‘trauma’ when he visits Melbourne after his deportation

He will participate in his first grand slam together with his new coach Andy Murray

In 2022, Djokovic was denied entry to Australia to participate in the Open because he had not been vaccinated against Covid 19. He was detained for several days and has often complained about the conditions in which he was held.

Djokovic discussed that time during his GQ interview, saying, “When I came home, I had some health problems. And I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne I was being fed food that was poisoning me.

“I never told anyone publicly, but I discovered that I had very high levels of heavy metal, very high levels of lead and mercury.”

When asked if that was because of the food he received in Australia, he replied: ‘That’s the only way.

‘I was very ill. It was like the flu, but when a few days later a simple flu had made me so bad, I was treated at home by an emergency medical team and had to do toxicology tests.’

It is not uncommon for food to be contaminated with trace amounts of lead and mercury, but until Djokovic takes the opportunity to clarify his point – an opportunity he was given on Friday – the use of the word “poisoned” could suggest that he believes that his food has been used deliberately. tampered with.

Nick Kyrgios has built a close bond with Djokovic since supporting him during the deportation saga, and the Australian once again came to his friend’s aid.

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 shit, that’s for sure. We shouldn’t have done that.’

Djokovic was detained for several days in 2022 because he had not been 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 criticized the former federal government’s handling of the matter.

“I found it astonishing that in the run-up to Christmas, Novak Djokovic was denied the opportunity by the then federal government to meet his Orthodox minister, priest, during that period,” he said. “That was something that I think was hard to justify.”

An Australian Border Force statement said: ‘The Park Hotel (where Djokovic was detained) was certified and recognized as a food service venue by the City of Melbourne and was subject to audits and inspections by the Department of Health. All catering team members had achieved food safety certification.

‘Menu options were offered so that inmates could choose from a variety of proteins, vegetables, salads and rice and pasta dishes.’