Novak Djokovic Made 1 Major Diet Change. It was Life-Altering

Novak Djokovic is a tennis legend, so it’s not surprising that people are interested in his diet.

At age 38, he’s holding his own – and then some – against players more than a decade younger. What’s his secret?

He went gluten-free.

In 2010, he suffered a “mid-match collapse” and was struggling with fitness issues, according to the Olympics website.

But then he met with Dr. Igor Cetojevic, “a nutritionist and fellow Serb who diagnosed a gluten and dairy sensitivity,” that site reported.

Cutting out gluten was both life and career-changing for the Serb, Olympics.com reported, describing the effects as “better sleep, more energy and a lightness on his feet.”

Djokovic, whose family ran a pizza restaurant, is such a fan of gluten-free diets that he wrote about it in his book, Serve to Win.

“Give it two weeks. That’s what I suggest. Avoid gluten for fourteen days and see how you feel. Then, on day fifteen, have some bread and see what happens,” he advised. “I’ve managed to stay gluten-free and eat a healthy, balanced, satisfying diet that fuels a professional tennis career — and I probably have far less control over my schedule and where I eat than you do. You can take control over your diet, and your life.”

What are the staples of his diet now?

“Vegetables, beans, white meat, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, lentils and healthy oils,” Olympics.com reported. He starts every day by drinking warm water with lemon.

“It did change my life,” he said, according to ESPN. “Ever since 2010, I have been very much evolving in terms of food, in terms of finding out new ways to improve my health. I think generally in today’s society, people tend to speak about how sick we can get and all the different illnesses that can cause us to feel bad. But nobody talks about how healthy can we really be.”

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Novak Djokovic Made 1 Major Diet Change. It was Life-Altering first appeared on Men’s Journal on Jul 11, 2025