Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer are famously called the “Big Four.” Rafael Nadal is 39 and retired just six months ago. Novak Djokovic is 38, still going great guns, and planning to play professional tennis till 2028. Andy Murray is 38 and retired last year after the 2024 Olympics. Roger Federer is 43 now and announced his retirement at the age of 41.
All the “Big Four” have maintained good fitness right from the beginning of their careers. All their fans and followers would like to know how they stay fit in their late 30s and early 40s. In this blog post, we will go through their fitness regimen.
Here are the details of the fitness regime of the “Big Four”
Rafael Nadal
Image source- Olympics.com
Rafa retired from professional tennis a few months back, but he is known for stamina and fitness. Nadal spends 4 hours on the court playing tennis and 4 hours in the gym, where he goes through various workouts under professional trainers. He has a very balanced diet, which includes fresh bread, olive oil, Iberian ham and orange juice for breakfast. Lunch mostly has fish, meat, olives, fresh veggies and cannoli. Dinner includes paella, shrimp dumplings, chocolate and cocktails.
Novak Djokovic
Image source- novakdjokovic.com
Novak Djokovic has outstanding fitness, and he has won Grand Slam tournaments a record 24 times. Novak has plans to play for at least three more years. His routine includes good stretching after 8 hours of sleep. He sometimes does yoga or Tai Chi in the morning. Two hours at the tennis court after breakfast and after lunch, Djokovic hits the gym for strength, weight, and resistance training.
Then, Djokovic lets his body rest, recover, and regenerate. He also spends some time on a fitness pad that helps in muscle recovery and also increases blood circulation. For breakfast, he has gluten-free muesli, seeds, nuts, berries, yogurt and banana. The most important thing in his diet is that he avoids caffeine, dairy, and gluten.
His lunch mostly consists of gluten-free pasta with vegan cheese, spicy soba noodle salad, or mixed green salad. Dinner is always protein-rich with salmon, roasted chicken or sardines with salad.
Andy Murray
Image source – Scottish Sun
Andy Murray retired from professional tennis after the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has maintained good fitness throughout his career. Murray starts at 9 in the morning with physio and warm-up for half an hour with his strength and conditioning coach. Then Murray heads straight to the tennis court till lunchtime.
After lunch, Murray goes to the gym with a trainer for a strength and mobility workout till 6 in the evening; Murray has an egg and yogurt or a smoothie, a banana, a bagel and some fruits. For lunch, he has cooked meals with lean protein, vegetables, carbs and fruit smoothies. Dinner is mainly salad, seafood and soup for starters, and the main course is vegetables, potatoes and chicken.
Roger Federer
Image source- Rogerfederer.com
Roger Federer has won 20 Grand Slam titles and had great athletic fitness till he retired. The first thing he does in the morning is warm up to work on his strength levels. Federer’s fitness coach, Pierre Paganini, has been with him for the last 20 years. Roger Federer focuses on flexibility, agility, endurance, and strength.
Federer starts with a warm-up in the morning for 20 minutes, and then he goes for medicine ball lunges, medicine ball shuffle steps, resistance band workouts, speed workout routines, and high-intensity interval training.
Federer has waffles or pancakes with fruit compote, freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for breakfast. Between breakfast and lunch, he has a protein bar and a cup of unsalted nuts as a snack. For lunch, he has pasta with chicken strips and green salad, and as a second snack, he has bananas, fresh berries, and protein shakes. Dinner is any kind of meat or fish in the main course, green vegetables, and ice cream. All four legends take good care of their fitness, and we hope that they all stay fit and healthy for many more years. People like to get inspired by their fitness. Whose fitness routine impressed you the most? Nadal’s stamina, Djokovic’s discipline, Murray’s consistency, or Federer’s balance? Share your thoughts
