One Australian academic, speaking to the Guardian,, external said Djokovic's claim was a "wild accusation".

"It's possible but very unlikely given how long he was locked up," said Damian Maganja, research fellow in food policy at the George Institute for Global Health.

"These meals were probably made in mass amounts and there haven't been other reports as far as I know."

Djokovic was sent to an immigration hotel where refugees and asylum seekers had long complained of poor conditions.

In December 2022, shortly before Djokovic had arrived at the Park Hotel, detainees had complained about finding maggots in their food.

By the time Djokovic was sent there, the hotel had been certified and licensed by the City of Melbourne local authority as a food service premises. It was subject to auditing and inspection by the city's Department of Health.

Detainees are said to have had access to a variety of food and beverages, which was deemed nutritious, culturally appropriate and met any specific medical or dietary requirements.

Djokovic has long been known to eat a gluten and dairy-free diet, while following a largely plant-based nutritional regime - which he has regularly cited as a recipe for his success.

Fish and shellfish commonly have higher levels of mercury than other foods, according to the NHS., external