Here’s What Novak Djokovic Eats In A Day
Jessica Campbell10 Jan 2019
The diet that saw Djokovic go from regular mid-match collapses, to a Grand Slam winning streak and how to replicate it yourself.
He may be coming back from injury, but from 2011 through to 2016, Djokovic was largely unbeatable on the tennis court.
In one of the most masterful seasons in the sport, Djokovic reigned supreme in 2011, winning three of four Grand Slams and going 6-0 against Nadal and 4-1 to Federer’s athletic prowess.
With such a profound dominance in the sport, it’s hard to imagine a time where Djokovic wasn’t a shoe-in for the final and hoisting trophies above his head.
But to chart the tennis champion’s progression in the sport is to find that his early years were dogged with mid-match collapses that proved a barrier to the success he seemed capable of achieving.
Whilst commentators and tennis players alike thought the issue was with the Serb’s fitness, it wasn’t until Djokovic consulted a nutritionist that he learned how important diet is to performance and made some significant changes.
The Turning Point
In 2010, Djokovic came up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2010 Australian Open quarter-final. Despite taking a lead of two sets to one, Djokovic then suffered a physical crisis: he had trouble breathing, felt completely drained of strength, and vomited violently during a toilet break. When he returned to the court, he won only four games in the remaining two sets which saw Tsonga coast to victory.
Thankfully, Dr Igor Cetojevic, a nutritionist and fellow Serb, was watching the match and immediately suspected that Djokovic’s breathing difficulties were a consequence of an imbalance in his digestive system.
The pair later met for a consultation in which Cetojevic asked to hold a slice of bread against his stomach with his left hand, with his right arm outstretched, resisting the pressure as the doctor pushed down on him. When his arm felt appreciably weaker than before, it became apparent that Djokovic was sensitive to gluten.
Further blood tests showed he also was strongly intolerant to wheat and dairy products, and mildly sensitive to tomatoes. It’s not what most people want to hear, let alone those whose parents own a pizza restaurant. But Djokovic was motivated to succeed and immediately cut out bread and cheese from his diet, whilst also cutting down on tomatoes.
The Djokovic Diet
Djokovic went gluten-free for two weeks and felt immediate benefits. He felt lighter, more energetic and slept better than before. After the two weeks, Djokovic made the diet a permanent lifestyle and the benefits quickly followed. Within 12 months, he was healthier, more alert, energetic and mentally sharper.
Djokovic follows a gluten- and dairy-free diet. He also cuts out as much sugar as possible, tending to stick to vegetables, beans, white meat, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, lentils and healthy oils.
His dedication is notably, quite intense – as you would expect from one of sport’s greatest icons. After winning a near six-hour final against Rafael Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open, Djokovic had a craving for chocolate, which he hadn’t eaten for 18 months. His physiotherapist brought him a bar but the Serb simply broke off one square, let it melt in his mouth and then left the rest.
Djokovic went on to write about his diet and the changes he made in his book, Serve To Win. Providing readers with detail on what he eats, he also gives a sample three days from his diet which we’ve laid out below, should you fancy trying it out yourself.