Currently ranked as the number one tennis player in mens’ singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals , Novak Djokovic is arguably the fittest all-around male athlete in the world.
Samir Becic, four-time number one fitness trainer in the world, and the Health Fitness Revolution team had 50 judges work on this project. The list consisted of 100 athletes, including Floyd Mayweather, Jr.,Michael Phelps, Wladimir Klitschko, Stephen Curry, Lebron James, J.J. Watt, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and several other athletes from various sports to make this conclusion.
“It’s not important who the fittest athletes in the world are,” Becic said. “What’s important is that all the athletes spread the message of having a healthy lifestyle. With a healthy lifestyle, physical fitness, healthy nutrition, mental, social and spiritual balance, we can control, manage or completely avoid over 70% of all illnesses known to mankind.”
“Novak Djokovic is a great example of how an athlete should be- not only physically talented, but also conscious of what happens off the court. I believe he is currently the fittest athlete in the world.” says Becic.
That said, we weighed several physical statistics including:
- stamina
- endurance
- cardio training
- strength
- flexibility
- mobility
- training regimen
- diet and nutrition intake
but we also looked at their positive community involvement and whether or not they pose as great role models for children.
And Novak Djokovic came out on top.
In general, tennis players – especially professional tennis players – must be in peak physical performance year-round. While most of the Grand Slam tournaments in professional tennis take place in the summer (the French Open occurs in May/June, Wimbledon – July/August, and the US Open in August/September; the Australian Open is the outlier, occurring in mid-January), less prominent tournaments are held throughout the year. While they may not carry as many ATP rank points as the major titles, skipping out on these tournaments will not only affect rank, but result in a drop in physical performance as well. There is no off-season for tennis players; it’s all or nothing for these professionals and a slip – drastic or slight – can be enough to bring a player down.
Djokovic, at the top of the tennis sport, rightfully reaps his rewards. The Serbian player boasts several titles, including:
- 53 ATP singles titles
- 8 Grand Slam wins
- 4 consecutive year-end championships
- 24 ATP Masters 1000 finals
- Olympic Bronze Medalist (2008 Beijing Olympics)
- and a singles title of 645 wins and 143 loses (an overall win rate of 82%)
Those wins do not come cheap. Professional tennis requires intense concentration, high stamina, enduring strength, and mental alacrity – and the training required to maintain these high levels of athleticism is done with no break and no time for slacking off.
While most sports have an off-season, where players’ workout intensity relaxes (though is by no means relaxing), tennis players must ensure year-round fitness.
Djokovic’s workout consists of:
- stretching
- hit-arounds
- jogging
- and 90-minute practices on clay court
He also visits frequently with personal trainers, physical therapists, and coaches to assess his footwork, breathing and form. Even on his “weeks off” he is required to play no more than 20 hours of tennis.
Tennis players must heed a strict diet, and Djokovic is no exception to the rule. In fact, he owes much of his performance to his gluten-free diet, which he describes in his 2013 book “Serve to Win.”
His diet generally consists of:
- Live and organic foods, such as vegetables and lean meat
- Water, the first and last thing consumed every day
- Breakfast: Increased fructose consumption for energy
- Lunch: Increased consumption of carbohydrates, found in vegetables and grains; limits protein intake; ensures energy consumption
- Dinner: Increased consumption of protein, limit consumption of carbs. Promotes muscle repair and limits energy intake
- Limit sugar intake to all-natural foods such as fruit and honey
- Consumption gluten-free whole grain foods
The intense combination and strict adherence to his workout regimen and dietary strategy have fostered Djokovic’s rise in both professional tennis and among professional athletes. It’s not enough to have dozens of titles under his belt or to be ranked the leading professional men’s singles tennis player, but requires persistence and discipline. For these reasons, we find Djokovic to be the fittest male athlete in the world.
