Given the worldwide nature of their sport, professional tennis players undertake more international travel than any other athletic cohort.
According to ATP statistics, men’s tennis professionals accumulated a total of 2.3 million kilometers in travel during the 2024 season, participating in high-level competitions across 29 nations spanning five continents.
Each athlete recognizes the crucial need to swiftly overcome time zone differences and employs their unique strategies to synchronize their body’s internal clock.
Novak Djokovic, who is renowned for his precise approach to physical optimization, aims to consume excessive fluids during his flights, enhancing his water with lemon, mint, and salt.
The winner of 24 Grand Slam titles shared with Travel + Leisure magazine, external, “Upon reaching my accommodation, I make sure to connect with nature by placing my bare feet on the earth promptly, then I take a warm bath infused with Epsom salts.”
“Subsequently, on the initial morning, I endeavor to observe the dawn, aiming to recalibrate my mental state.”
Many players adopt natural botanical supplements, frequently composed of plant-derived components such as valerian, hops, chamomile, and passionflower, as a common adjustment technique, concurrently, numerous athletes have begun using melatonin to assist with sleep.
However, the ingestion of this particular hormone, naturally generated by the brain in low-light conditions to facilitate slumber, has resulted in significant negative consequences for certain prominent athletes.
In 2024, Iga Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam winner, received a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, as the melatonin she consumed to combat jet lag was found to be tainted.
The then-world number five from Greece, Stefanos Tsitsipas, attributed his subdued showing and subsequent comprehensive defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 French Open quarter-finals to the effects of these pills.
