Sports doctor comments on Novak Djokovic mystery drink controversy
A Djokovic team member was caught mixing up a drink for the Serb mid-match in Paris.
Sports doctor and scientist Mark Kovacs doesn't feel that Novak Djokovic was doing something illegal during his Paris Masters semifinal match versus Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In a video that has since gone viral, a Djokovic team member was caught mixing up a drink for the Serb.
When Djokovic's team noticed they were being filmed, they tried to cover the person mixing up the drink.
Dr Kovacs, a physiologist and researcher who has a history of working with elite athletes, suggests it was probably Djokovic's blend and that it was mixed secretly because the team didn't want to reveal what the product was.Â
âItâs very normal,â Kovacs told TENNIS magazine. âIf a match is going long or thatâs their schedule, most players over the course of the year do what Djokovic did multiple times. Itâs just like racquet strings. How many times do they hand a racquet mid-match to the ball kid?â
Kovacs on the Djokovic drink controversyÂâThis did look weird. But they couldâve been trying to hide a product theyâre not sponsored by, or simply didnât want anyone to know whatâs in the drink. It couldâve been one of a thousand ingredients, but in Djokovicâs mind thatâs his secret weapon," Kovacs added.Â
Damian Reilly, the journalist who posted the viral Djokovic drink video, said that Djokovic's team was "amazingly dodgy" in their actions.
Jelena Djokovic, the wife of the 21-time Grand Slam champion, had a strong response for Reilly.
âI donât see anything dodgy. In fact, I see people trying to be private about their business in a world where everyone feels like they have every right to point camera at you whenever they want. Apparently, wanting/trying to be private makes you dodgy nowadays,â Jelena Djokovic wrote in her response to Reilly.Â
Throughout his entire career, Djokovic has been very high on the diet and nutrition aspect of the sport.
That's one of the biggest reasons why at 35 Djokovic is looking as good as ever.