How Novak Djokovic Redefined Greatness After Age 30
How Novak Djokovic Redefined Greatness After Age 30Critics mocked his methods. Scientists questioned his tests. But Djokovic kept winning. This is the story of how one of tennis’ most polarizing stars became its most durable and dominant.
In 2010, Novak Djokovic made a decision that would help him become one of the most accomplished athletes in sports history. The Serbian tennis player eliminated gluten from his diet entirely, but not in the way you or I might make that decision. Rather than getting his blood work done by a gastroenterologist, Djokovic stopped eating gluten based on the results of an alternative muscle-strength test involving a piece of bread on his stomach. Djokovic held his right arm out straight while his doctor applied pressure and tried to push it down. That wasn’t a problem. Djokovic is a world-class athlete who could easily hold his arm in place despite some pressure. But then Djokovic’s doctor asked him to do something different. Rather than allowing his left hand to sit idle by his side, Djokovic was told to hold a piece of bread on his stomach. His doctor then conducted the same test, applying similar pressure again to his right arm. This time, the result was different. Djokovic’s resistance had faded; his arm dropped like a brick, and his doctor diagnosed him with celiac disease — an autoimmune disorder that causes gluten sensitivity in one percent of the population… Subscribe to Huddle Up to unlock the rest.Become a paying subscriber of Huddle Up to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. A subscription gets you:
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