Novak Djokovic’s routine: From eating gluten-free muesli, to drinking celery juice followed by meditation and yoga (and then some tennis!)… Mail Sport first-hand experience of replicating superstar’s lifestyle before Wimbledon

The tennis world’s focus this month was fixed on the sport’s premiere tournament: Wimbledon.

The iconic Grand Slam on grass came to a fascinating close just over a week ago when Marketa Vondrousova won the women’s singles title and Carlos Alcaraz the men’s title.

Whenever Wimbledon is on, it is common for the British public to pick up a racket and play, as they resemble homegrown heroes Andy Murray, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic and current No. 1 Iga Swiatek of the women’s world.

And ahead of the action kicking off at SW19, Mail Sport got an insight into a tennis player’s lifestyle.

Thanks to ASICS, we were invited to them ASICS House of Tennis experience to see their athletes embody the ASICS acronym of Strong Mind, Sound Body (from the Latin phrase: anima sana in corpore sano).

Mail Sport was invited to ASICS’ House of Tennis to see how their sponsored athletes train

Among their roster of athletes, ASICS can boast Swiatek, Belinda Bencic, Alex de Minaur, Christopher Eubanks, Wimbledon boys champion Henry Searle and Djokovic wearing their apparel. And it was the latter’s routine that Mail Sport got a firsthand glimpse of for a taste.

Before the event started, we were asked to fill out a form put together by Dr. Brendon Stubbs – a physiotherapist and acclaimed researcher in the field of mental wellbeing. Rate how we feel on a scale of 1-10 (with one = not at all, five = moderate and 10 = extreme) the subject of the questions ranged from coping with stress to feeling energized.

This quick survey was then pitted against our post-activity responses so we could compare the before and after on our physical and mental state of mind.

And once that was done, we moved on to the dietary requirements.

Djokovic has a gluten-free and plant-based diet, but starts his day with a glass of warm water and lemon — citing in the past that it “helps detoxify his body.”

Once that’s consumed, it goes to the power bowl. Described as an ‘energy-boosting bowl’ consisting of mixed seeds, mixed nuts, gluten-free muesli, berries, strawberries, banana and yogurt.

The Serb completes his morning meal and washes it all down with a glass of celery juice and a green smoothie. The latter consists of peas, celery, apple juice, mint, spinach and kale. Both drinks are packed with antioxidant-rich ingredients.

After processing the above, it moved on to meditation and yoga – a staple of Djokovic’s daily routine.

To start his day, Djokovic eats a ‘power bowl’ containing mixed seeds, mixed nuts and fruit

After dinner followed yoga and meditation for 20 minutes to calm the mind and body

This gentle session lasted only 20 minutes and included several stretches and chest breathing exercises that culminated in a state of calm for all participants.

The box breath itself involved inhaling and counting to four, before pausing for another four seconds and then exhaling for the same amount of time before repeating it all again.

And then it was on to the actual tennis. But first it was a warm-up led by former British tennis player-now-coach Alex Ward. Ward, who now coaches Britain’s Katie Swan, led the routine with plenty of dynamic exercises ranging from the upper body to the lower extremities.

Now that it was all warm, we focused on volleys – a staple of the grass season. Admittedly, most in attendance – including Mail Sport – couldn’t replicate (shock) the dexterous art of the pros, but we all grew in confidence as the session progressed – which ended with De Minaur and Bencic looking for volley batting partners as they slammed into a wall together.

De Minaur and Bencic then spoke to Mail Sport and the others about what it takes to succeed on and off the field.

Before playing tennis, there was a vigorous warm-up with various dynamic movements

After the warm-up, the focus of the tennis session was on volleyball – a key on a grass court

Thomas Johansson, Alex de Minaur, Belinda Bencic, Dr Brendon Stubbs and Alex Corretja (LR) were all present during the ASICS House of Tennis experience

Those tips closed the session, but what about the previous survey results? From the research of Dr. Stubbs found that there was a positive association between exercise and better mental health.

Overall, participants’ State of Mind Index scores improved by 17.6 percent, meaning event attendees felt more uplifted after completing the experience on a number of different mental health criteria, including confidence, calmness, and focus.

Below are some additional findings found during the study:

• Participants felt 31.5 percent more positive after completing the routine
• At the end of the experience, participants felt 24.3 percent calmer and 17.8 percent more confident
• Participants felt 22.1 percent better rested from stress by participating in the regimen

Now that the championships are over and that insight has been duly noticed, it’s time for Mail Sport to try and recreate all of the above on a tennis court.

But it’s safe to say Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic and Co have nothing to worry about!