How to eat like professional tennis player Aryna Sabalenka

Tennis isn’t an easy sport. With matches that regularly last more than three hours, top-flight players need to make sure they’re correctly fuelling their bodies.

But what should tennis players be eating? And when should they be doing it? We asked Jo Shinewell, performance dietician at Tennis Australia, to guide us through a player’s diet on match day.

Before the match

In the lead-up to a match, Shinewell says that players should be focusing on recovering and refuelling in preparation for what’s to come.

A lot of this process is achieved through consuming carbohydrates, what she calls “the petrol” for the body. Meals like porridge or eggs on toast will deliver this much-needed energy.

Pre-match preparation can be complicated by the lack of certainty about when a player will be on court. Unless scheduled for the first match the day, an exact start time will rely on the rest of the day’s schedule.

This means that in the lead-up to a match, many players will likely rely on foods that they are comfortable eating. This is the case for world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who sticks to a basic diet on match day.

“If it’s early match, I just stay with breakfast. I eat porridge and an egg white omelette,” she said. “If I have to go for lunch, I stay pretty simple … chicken and rice and some salad.”

Sabalenka’s typical diet is also indicative of what Shinewell says is a shift towards lighter meals before an on-court appearance.

“I’d say people have probably moved away from that traditional spaghetti bolognese … eating a little bit more rice as opposed to pasta,” she says.

“The carbohydrate volume is similar between the two … [but] rice doesn’t contain gluten.”

While the performance nutritionist says that she is not against gluten, she says that players don’t want to be feeling full or heavy once they’re out on court.

“It’s also [about] knowing your body,” Shinewell says. “If you can’t tolerate food close to playing, then you might rely on a liquid to make sure that you’re getting the carbohydrate.

“Once the liquid’s in your gut it’s not actually hanging around, like food does … That’s why having options available is really important.”

During the match

It’s an exciting moment. Two players walking out onto court to the applause of the crowd. Tossing the coin to decide who will take the first serve. Game faces on. It’s go time.

But this doesn’t mean that players can completely forget about their stomachs.

“If you have fuelled up really well, the body actually has 90 minutes worth of petrol,” Shinewell says. “But no one knows how long a match is going to go for.”

She also says that a player can burn through food even faster during a difficult match or when playing in tough conditions.

To prepare for this, players will often carry “easy carbohydrates” in their bag – bananas, dried fruits or sports gels. These foods are quickly digestible, giving players a quick boost when they need it most.

Some players – like Casper Ruud of Norway – say that eating during a match can be difficult.

“I don’t really like eating on court because your pulse is always pretty high and you have adrenaline. It’s not easy to feel hungry,” Ruud said in a press conference.

But Shinewell says that not refuelling properly can be detrimental to performance, especially in longer matches. “The risk is that your fuel levels drop too low, and you actually … hit the wall and fatigue prematurely.”

Clearly, Ruud was given some similar advice. “I realised if I don’t fuel up … I’m going to be cramping up and tired towards the end of the fifth set. So I need to eat a little bit,” he said.

Shinewell also says that these quick carbohydrates must be eaten alongside proper hydration. It is a balance between the two that will allow players to function for longer.

“That is the beauty of tennis. That opportunity to keep fuelling yourself up. Some sports don’t have that.”

After the match

If all has gone well, a tennis player will be scheduled for their next match within a day or two.

Even if the tournament has come to an end, a player will still be returning to practice in the near future.

Quick recovery is the key, and Shinewell says that players should use the “three Rs” as a guide: replenish, repair and rehydrate.

One priority is to replenish the body’s fuel by eating carbohydrates. Foods like rice, potatoes, or pasta are some good choices, says Shinewell.

Once a player has taken some time to refuel – they should introduce some protein to assist in muscle repair.

It can be difficult to eat a heavy meal directly after playing, so Shinewell says a protein shake or some yoghurt will do the trick.

Lastly, players need to be sure to rehydrate their bodies. Shinewell says this is just as important after the match as it is in the middle of it.

“Once you have finished playing, you’re still losing fluid because your body temperature is still high,” she said. “So it’s not just what you lost on the court. You’re still losing [fluid] as it goes on.”

Shinewell admits that she takes a particularly hard line with a recovery timeframe, recommending players complete the process within 30 minutes.

But really, it should just be carried out as quickly as possible after a match.

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The final word

Professional athletes have access to more resources than ever. Nutritionists are commonplace on the tour, and there is so much dietary information available.

But Shinewell says that the most important aspect is still working out the foods that work best for each person.

“Some [players] still come with ideas of what they should be doing, which may not necessarily be right for them as individuals,” she says.

“It sounds ridiculous, but it is about getting to know your body, and how it works well.”

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