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Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios backed Novak Djokovic’s claims that he was poisoned during his detention in Australia. His claims reignited conversations around his deportation ahead of the 2022 Australian Open. The 24-time Major winner alleged that the tests conducted upon his return to Serbia in 2022 revealed high levels of lead and mercury in his body. He held his five-day detention in Melbourne immigration responsible for the same. It happened when his visa was cancelled over his unvaccinated status.
While Australian authorities are yet to respond to the claims, Kyrgios, who is known for his candor and for backing Djokovic during the 2022 deportation, addressed the allegations during the Australian Open 2025. He admitted that Kyrgios wasn’t aware of the claims made by Djokovic but he expressed regret over the situation.
We treated him like s**t: Kyrgios backs Novak Djokovic’s claims
Kyrgios said, "No, I haven’t spoken to him. I didn’t even know that. But I’ll stand on... we treated him like s**t, that’s for sure. We wouldn’t have done that." Speaking about his return, he said, "For me being back, it adds a bit of question marks to what is going to happen today. I love that. Every time I step out on the court, I don't know if I'm going to be super controversial in a good or bad way.
"Throughout my career, it hasn't always been good but it's added a lot of excitement to the game. It's important. There's so many good players on the tour now. I think there's not so many contrasting personalities. I've always been someone that's played my brand of tennis, and I guess my personality, I haven't changed since I was 10-years-old. It's good to be back. I think the sport was getting a bit mundane.”
