Carlos Alcaraz is on cloud nine after his first-ever Roland Garros victory! While the Spaniard wanted to share his happiness with his loved ones as well as fans, he had a busy schedule even after the event was over. Following in the footsteps of his ‘King of Clay’ idol, the Spaniard uncovered a detail in his diet that surprisingly draws his life parallel to that of another of the Big 3 – Novak Djokovic.

The 21-year-old Spanish tennis sensation defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev in a thrilling five-set match on Sunday, taking home the Musketeer’s Trophy. Afterward, foregoing his usually strict diet of an athlete, the young Spaniard allowed himself a break, gorging on the foods of Paris. But in doing so, his habits revealed a surprising similarity to the former World No. 1.

“Yesterday, I celebrated with my family, with the people that came from Murcia, with my friends,” said Alcaraz, in a recent interview with the ATP Tour. Along with that, he also mentioned how he took a moment to ditch his gluten-free diet.

“We went out to dinner and obviously I did everything I haven’t been doing during the tournament and ate what I hadn’t been eating. I’m normally careful with gluten, but I took my foot off the pedal and let myself go a little bit. Also, we had to celebrate with champagne, the time was right. Then I left early and that was it. Today I’m on cloud nine,” the 21-year-old added.

Alcaraz’s decision to follow a gluten-free diet draws a parallel with Novak Djokovic, who is famously admired by the tennis world for his dietary discipline. Djokovic has been following a gluten- and dairy-free diet since 2010. He also minimizes sugar intake, focusing on vegetables, beans, white meat, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, lentils, and healthy oils. This diet has been a crucial part of Djokovic’s routine, making him cause wonders even after touching the mark of 37.

The similarity turned to be more highlighted as Alcaraz is known to sing jingles of his admiration for Rafael Nadal. From following the King of Clay’s footsteps at Roland Garros to being determined to hold the court alongside him at the upcoming Paris Olympics, his love for the idol never fades.

Despite the admiration for Rafa, the Roland Garros champion draws inspiration for a strict diet from his idol’s on-court rival Novak Djokovic. While he revealed that he restricts this protein from his diet, it reveals how the Serb has created a mark of inspiration for the ones who will dominate the tennis scene in the future.

Novak Djokovic admits to the drastic change that his strict diet caused

The tennis community is aware of the fact that Novak Djokovic sacrifices the satisfaction of his taste buds to perform better. Remember the COVID-19 vaccination issue? The former World No. 1 has a special way of taking care of his body and of course, what he puts in it includes food.

While his diet includes a balance of several healthy ingredients in the right proportion, he came forward to explain the changes that he noticed after cutting down the excess.

“Suddenly there was an X factor, a change in my diet that allowed my body to perform the way it was meant to,” Djokovic said, in an interview with the Olympic Press. The Serb’s success in terms of records and titles is unparalleled. As he affirms the positive impact of a healthy diet, it is evident that following it can surely allow the body to achieve a better form and extent of flexibility.