Breaking down the diet that helped Novak Djokovic become an all-time great

Novak Djokovic wins his 10th Grand Slam title, cementing his staus as an all-time great

Novak Djokovic has dominated men’s tennis for the better part of the last five years, finishing with the year-end number one ranking four times in that span. He has capped off that run with a fabulous performance in the 2015 US Open, where he defeated Roger Federer in the final.

Many wonder about his amazing domination and even call him a tennis machine. Such consistently strong play has rarely been seen in tennis history, and much of this has been attributed to his ‘miracle’ gluten-free diet. I use the term ‘miracle’ because the diet has brought about radical changes in the Serb’s tennis fortunes.

Djokovic’s initial few years of physical struggles

Djokovic was recognised as a supremely talented player from the very beginning. His speed around the court, his backhand and his tenacity marked him as a player to watch out for. He defeated both Federer and Nadal in 2007, when he was just 20, and was marked as a potential Grand Slam champion by many former greats.

Djokovic often had issues with his fitness and had to retire also many time during matches

However he had physical struggles and fitness issues throughout the first five years of his professional career. Bouts of vomiting and breathing issues surfaced time and again in his matches, which affected his play. He never could string together big tournament victories in a row.

The life-changing moment in 2010

In 2010, when Djokovic was playing in Serbia for the Davis Cup, he had a conversation with Dr. Igor Cetojevic, a nutritionist and fellow Serb. The doctor convinced Djokovic to conduct tests on him, and the results showed exactly what the doctor had been fearing. Djokovic was allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat and other bread grains.

Dr. Cetojevic told Djokovic to initially let go of gluten-filled foods for two weeks and see the effect for himself. The Serb changed his diet completely and immediately felt fresher, stronger and lighter. He also talked about having much better sleep.

After that, Djokovic pledged that he would change his diet completely and give up all gluten foods as well as dairy products. And we all know what has happened thereafter.

The diet that has helped Djokovic become a dominant force

Let us have a detailed look at Djokvic’s diet and find out what he eats at various times of the day.

His breakfast starts with honey, fruits and an oat-based cereal mix. “Your body needs sugar," says Djokovic. "In particular, it needs fructose, the sugar found in fruits, some vegetables, and especially honey.”

As a mid-morning snack, he has gluten-free bread, tuna or crackers with avocado. For lunch, Djokovic prefers to have a carb-rich diet and also focuses on having more vegetable based nutrient intake.

“During the day, I want my body to be as energized as possible," says Djokovic. "When I eat carbs with very little protein, I’m telling my body, ‘I need energy.’”

His dinner is rich in protein, and he prefers to have a mix of white meat products like chicken and fish. “At night, I don’t need energy," he says. "So at dinner, I will tell my body, ‘I need you to repair this mess I made. Please take this protein and do what needs to be done.’”

A blueprint in healthy eating and diet plans for next-generation athletes

Djokovic’s success has made the gluten-free diet a hot favourite amongst many young sports stars and also the general public. However, while there are many benefits of his diet plan, the best being that it is based on lesser intake of carbs, everyone has a different body type and must find out what works for them after consulting a good nutritionist. Going gluten-free is not a magic cure for all your problems.

Just because it worked for Djokovic doesn’t mean every athlete should blindly follow his diet plan. Everyone has to find out the best solution for their body themselves. However, that doesn’t change the fact that everyone can take inspiration from the great Serbian champ who changed his destiny with some discipline and smart nutrition.