Novak Djokovic's mystery drink at Paris Masters: What could be the contents of the Serb's 'magic potion'?

The mystery drink debate involving Novak Djokovic has flared up again since the recently concluded Paris Masters, where his trainer was seen 'secretly preparing' a drink while seated in the stands before sending it across to the Serbian tennis great. The Serb, who has previously spoken on the matter only to the extent of calling it a "magic potion," or any of his team members, has still not opened up about the Paris Masters incident.

Two strong views on either side of the mystery drink debate have equal merit. While one viewpoint hits back at serious suspicions by suggesting that strict protocols in place would have detected the use of risky substances, another viewpoint suggests that Djokovic and his team must simply reveal the composition of his "magic potion" and put to rest all concerns, in the spirit of transparency.

But what could be a potential reason behind Djokovic choosing to remain mum about the contents of his drink since he was first asked about it at Wimbledon, and his team trying to ensure that the preparation remains secret?

The Serb could be using a 'proprietary blend' as a dietary supplement during matches. According to a primer on proprietary blends from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the ratios and quantities of ingredients in a proprietary blend are "considered a trade secret like a special recipe." It further states that creators of proprietary blends can keep their recipes and formulas secret, otherwise it could lead to competitors copying and using the formulas for their use.

Proprietary blends can be viewed as a danger or loophole in the law, given that no one can know the exact mix used in a blend for dietary supplements. However, CRN guidelines suggest that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can keep a check on the use of proprietary blends to ensure no foul play is involved.

"FDA can obtain the exact ingredient mixture in proprietary blends when it conducts routine inspections of facilities under the GMP regulations, so these recipes cannot hide risky ingredients that would be unsafe for human consumption," reads the primer on proprietary blends from CRN.

"What sets dietary supplements apart is that, unlike conventional food and beverages, supplements must disclose on the label the exact ingredients in their proprietary formulations," it adds.

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Looking back at Novak Djokovic's magic potion debate at 2022 Wimbledon, the Serb himself specifically chose not to reveal details after he was oddly seen inhaling something from a water bottle during a match at SW19, but he did mention the use of a 'supplement' for a sports drink he was working on.

Leaving things in a cryptic manner with his "magic potions" answer back in July, Djokovic also stated that people will "find out soon" about the contents of his bottle, during a press conference after beating Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final.

"I said you will find out soon, but not so soon (laughter)," the Serb said in early July. "It's going to come out as one of the supplement, let's say, lines that I'm doing right now with drink and few other things, sports drinks, et cetera. It will come out there. You'll try it and you'll let me know how it feels."

While tennis players' use of special drink preparations is not uncommon in tennis, the video involving his trainer and fellow team members during the Paris Masters semifinal created a buzz mainly because of the secrecy displayed in their body language, and transparency on the matter sooner rather than later would go a long way.

However, the use of a special dietary supplement in the form of a proprietary blend is a likely possibility in the Djokovic-magic potion debate.