Magic potion, miracle pills and very dubious medical time-outs: As Novak Djokovic prepares to take on Katie Boulter's fiancé Alex de Minaur, will the wily veteran be up to his old tricks again at Wimbledon?
The seven-time champion, who faces Katie Boulter 's fiancé Alex de Minaur on Centre Court, has drawn attention during the first week of the tournament through his unorthodox use of 'miracle pills'.
Given his history with left-field medical practices, many are wondering if the Serbian will once again rely on some unusual methods as the veteran looks to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
In the first round, when playing against Alexandre Muller, Djokovic was feeling poorly and called for a medical timeout - only to welcome a remarkable transformation after a doctor helped improve his condition.
'I went from feeling my absolutely best for a set and a half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes,' Djokovic said after his four set victory.
'Whether it was a stomach bug - I don't know what it is, but I just struggled with that.
'The energy kind of kicked back after some doctor's miracle pills and I managed to finish the match on a good note.'
After taking the 'miracle pills', Djokovic won 10 of the next 12 games to storm to victory, a scintilating run that left tongues wagging among tennis fans.
This is not the first time Djokovic's behaviour has created intrigue.
Alongside 'miracle pills', Djokovic has outlined his belief in the benefits of drinking 'pyramid water', sticking to a gluten-free diet and avoiding talking negatively about food in order to not strip a meal of its nutrients.
He is also obsessive when it comes to chewing, an action that must be focused on entirely.
More recently, the star revealed during the Australian Open that he had been given a custom electromagnetic device designed to 'enhance metabolic function'.
More often than not Djokovic is happy to expand on his beliefs, on food, on special water, on not getting vaccinated against Covid, and that was why his 'magic potion' spotted at previous iterations of Wimbledon became so intriguing.
His bizarre Wimbledon drink habit became an even bigger story when he refused to reveal what was in the bottle.
'Magic potion, that is all I can say,' he said, when pressed.
The 'potion' has since been unveiled as Djokovic's SILA electrolyte supplement, which is available for purchase by the masses and contains, as per the brand itself, 'CoQ10, Vitamins C and B12 for cellular energy', and 'proprietary nanotechnology for maximum absorption'.
Those sitting in Djokovic's box have been spotted sporting SILA baseball caps, one assumes for maximum absorption of marketing.
Given Djokovic's history when it comes to unorthodox off-court preparation, perhaps a story on his use of 'miracle pills' should come as no surprise.
It should be noted, though, that the on-court doctors which supplied these pills are employed by the tournament.
Djokovic has a good record against his next opponent, de Minaur, so he might not need the help of 'magic pills' this time around.
On the four occasions the two have met, the Serbian has prevailed three times.
The most recent was at Wimbledon last year, de Minaur pulling out of their quarter-final clash due to a hip injury.
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Glasgow Times
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