As Novak Djokovic prepares to return to action at the Dubai Tennis Championships, the world No.1 has spoken about the importance of nutrition.
The Serbian has stated on numerous occasions that his diet is a crucial factor in his performance on the court. Djokovic began his gluten-free diet after tests found that he had an intolerance to wheat and dairy. Prior to the discovery, Djokovic experienced moments of fatigued and weak during matches, an unthinkable concept given his current dominance in the game. In his biography ‘Serve to Win’ the world No.1 wrote about the importance of finding the right diet plan to suit his own requirements.
“Most diet programmes assume the same plan works for everyone and that you ‘must’ eat certain foods. ‘Must’ just isn’t a good word. Your body is an entirely different machine from mine. I don’t want you to eat the best diet for my body. “ He wrote.
During a recent interview with Gulf News, Djokovic shed light on his food routine. The 28-year-old begins his day with a cup of green tea as he tried to avoid all sugar content. Concerning juices, he candidly admitted that he drinks ‘anything that he can find’. These ingredients include kale, cucumber, watermelon, berries, mint and ginger. The strict diet is hugely impressive for somebody who travels the world to various countries. It is a tough challenge, but Djokovic explained that it is essential for his performance both on and off the court.
“It’s hard to sum it up in a few sentences, but I try to eat the freshest and most organic foods that I can find in places that I go. It’s not easy at all times, but let’s say that I am aware of the food that I am always eating and what it does for my body and for my mind and how it affects my wellbeing in general,” The world No.1 said about his diet.
“I believe that if you take care of yourself holistically then it can very much so impact positively on your tennis and in your performance,” he added.
After clinching titles in Doha and Melbourne, Djokovic is currently on a 12-match winning streak this year. Last year he achieved a win-loss of 82-6 on the tour to become the first player in history to earn over $20 Million in prize money within one season.
Concluding his interview with The Gulf News, the world No.1 gave his own personal nutritional advice.
“I think it all starts with knowledge and education. Thankfully, in this 21st Century, we have access to so much information around, and there is the internet. You don’t need to go to a nutritionist or get a course in order to learn some stuff. You can get it all for free, you just have to get into google and just do a little search and dedicate a little bit of your time to yourself. I feel that the problem with health that a lot of people have, it starts with a lack of information and lack of knowledge about food and lifestyle. What you do and how that influences your well being and your health.
I suggest that everyone starts with fresh juices in the morning. I think that’s that best way to start off the day. There are some scientific studies that say up to noon, your metabolism is actually getting rid of all the toxins, that’s your body clock for your organs. That’s the best time for you to drink as much liquid as possible. Water with lemon, with ginger, with fresh green leaves.
“I love super foods. I think super foods are the future of nutrition. Superfood powders like maca and spirulina, all these things you can put in a blender with some almond and coconut or rice milk, then mix it with some seeds and some protein powder. It’s the best way to start your day and it makes you feel like you had a great meal.”
At the upcoming Dubai Tennis championships Djokovic will be bidding to become the second player in history to win the title on five separate occasions (Roger Federer holds the tournament record at seven). As he makes his final preparations, the Australian Open champion took some time out to visit the local water park with his brother Marko.
No biggie, just goofing around @WildWadiDubai with @DjokerNole and his brother Marko. #DailyDeuce @DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/xlS9HXoahS
— tabloid! (@GulfNewsTabloid) February 21, 2016
