As the world’s top tennis players converge for the Australian Open in Melbourne this week, many of them will be aiming to serve up victory in their first match and maintain a consistent standard of play throughout the tournament. With lengthy matches and short breaks between games, the ability to unwind and rest becomes essential if they want to advance through to the later stages.
For Melbourne Park’s most dominant player and nine-time Australian Open champion, Novak Djokovic, quality sleep has always been one of his secrets for success.
In his 2013 book, Serve to Win, Djokovic not only attributes his physical stamina to his well-known gluten-free diet but also credits it for improvements in his sleep and mental clarity. That’s why he makes it an absolute priority to go to bed at the same time every night, using yoga and meditation to unwind before sleeping around 11pm and rising at 7am the next morning.
“I’m serious. I treat sleep with as much respect as I treat food, or my training schedule, or my rivals. It’s that important,” Djokovic writes.
Indeed, it’s this extraordinary preparation that has led him to the top of the men’s game for more than 10 years and counting.
Are you a tennis fan staying up late to watch the Australian Open? Some evening matches in Melbourne can lead to a few late nights. And as the championship progresses, these matches can stretch well past midnight. Head on to our Australian Open sleep survival guide to get key sleep advice from our fellow ResMedians.
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ResMed is a global leader in sleep technology that has its origins right here in Australia. Our goal is to provide people with the means to awaken their best and enjoy healthier lives by promoting good sleep habits and creating awareness for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.
Reyner LA, Horne JA. "Sleep restriction and serving accuracy in performance tennis players, and effects of caffeine." Physiol. Behav. 2013; 120:93-6.
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