Almost three years ago during Australian Open, the tennis world was hit by a storm when they learned that the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic had his visa cancelled. He was also eventually kicked out of the country for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID. He was held in a detention hotel as he fought a fruitless legal battle to remain. His five-day stay in the Park Hotel in Carlton, Australia in 2022 literally became a global spectacle! The Serb recently revisited those horrifying experiences and also made some bizarre claims. After hearing all these controversial claims by his friend Nole, Nick Kyrgios has now shared his thoughts on the same. What did the Aussie say on this, though?

Just a few days ago, during an exclusive interview with Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper, Novak Djokovic admitted, “I have (some trauma) to be quite frank. 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.” He spoke about how he felt the moment he entered the Melbourne airport. It was quite a bitter experience for Novak Djokovic during the 2022 AO.

Although he claims that he doesn’t “hold any resentment” or “grudge” on the same, his peer, Nick Kyrgios has always been vocal about the criticisms towards the Australian authorities. He had time and again defended Djokovic and stated that he wasn’t being treated fairly by the authorities in his country. On Thursday, Novak Djokovic made yet another astonishing revelation! In an interview with GQ magazine, he spoke about his horrifying experience during his detention. “I had some health issues. And I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne, I was fed some food that poisoned me,” claimed the Serb.

Not only that he also added, “I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discovered that I had a really high level of heavy metal. I had lead, a very high level of lead and mercury.” Later on, when he was asked if he believed his food was contaminated, Novak Djokovic replied, “That’s the only way.“ What does Nick Kyrgios have to say about these claims, though? Well, during an interview at the 2025 AO, Kyrgios stated “I haven’t spoken to him. I didn’t even know that. I’ll stand on… We treated him like sh-t, that’s for sure. We shouldn’t have done that.“

According to GQ, they had even tried to reach Australia’s Department of Home Affairs for a response but were told that they couldn’t comment “for privacy reasons.“ Nick Kyrgios’ constant support during that tough time brought him closer to Novak Djokovic. From being sworn enemies to being two close friends, they have seen a lot over the years. Let’s take a glimpse at the incredible transition in their friendship.

“I will never forget” – Novak Djokovic’s humble admission about Nick Kyrgios’ incredible support in his tough times

In 2019 during a conversation at the No Challenges Remaining podcast, Nick Kyrgios made a bizarre statement on Novak Djokovic. He said, “I just feel like he (Djokovic) has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked.” The Aussie didn’t stop there, he further added, “He just wants to be like Roger [Federer]. This whole celebration thing that he does after matches, it’s like so cringeworthy. It’s very cringeworthy.” Later on, during an IG Live with Novak Djokovic’s current coach, Andy Murray, fans saw him picking the Brit over the Serb.

The sour relations started to change when Novak Djokovic saw Nick Kyrgios was among the fewest ones who stood by him during his tough times at the 2022 AO. Remembering his incredible support during that phase, Djokovic said, “You (Kyrgios) were one of the very few colleagues on the tour to use his platform, use his voice, to support me (during the deportation) and that is something I will never forget.“

Even Nick Kyrgios revealed that Novak Djokovic had also reached out to him personally on IG to thank him for standing up for him. Both these players have now built a very special relationship on and off the court. On the court, both of them were spotted cheering their doubles reunion at the 2025 Brisbane International. Off the court, it has gone to a different level! Even Djokovic’s family has previously revealed how grateful they are to Nick Kyrgios for standing beside Nole in his tough times.

In May 2022, during an interview, Djordje Djokovic said, “I want to bring Nick Kyrgios to Belgrade, to thank him for supporting Novak, Belgrade, and Serbia. He is an entertainer, he doesn’t mince his words and he will always express his opinion, whatever it may be. But above all, he is a serious athlete and tennis player. I hope that he will come to the Serbia Open before he finishes his tennis career.“ Fans were thrilled to see these two play together in Brisbane. Their flamboyant tennis was truly a bliss to watch and the moments they cherished in their doubles match was the cherry on top!