Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal has slammed the current obsession with gluten-free diets popularised by Grand Slam rival Novak Djokovic, saying that the important thing is to be happy, enjoy oneself and being fresh mentally.
According to Gulf News, world number one Djokovic famously dropped pizza and pasta from his diet as he opted for gluten-free at the end of 2010 and then went on to lead his country to a first Davis Cup, claim three of the four majors in 2011 as well as rack up a 41-match winning streak.
Stating that he has never been tempted to succumb to what he describes as a passing trend, Nadal said that the current fad would soon be replaced by something more fashionable in years to come, adding that it is better if a player does not adopt a habit which will change him or ask for a big sacrifice from him.
The 2010 US Open winner, who started his 2013 campaign on Monday with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 breeze past American wildcard Ryan Harrison, further said that not all players who had success had the same diet or had the same style of play.
Djokovic said that he altered his diet when he discovered that he was sensitive to gluten, which was the reason for his mid-match collapses, with his menu now consisting of vegetables, beans, white meat, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, lentils and healthy oils and two tablespoons of honey with water in the morning.
