Swiatek

Tennis stars travel globally more than any other group of athletes due to the international nature of the sport.

With tour-level tournaments held in 29 countries across five continents, men’s players travelled a combined 2.3 million km across the 2024 season, according to ATP data.

Every player knows the importance of getting over jetlag quickly and has their own method of attempting to regulate their circadian rhythm.

Novak Djokovic, known for meticulously fine-tuning his body, tries to “over-hydrate” on his flight, adding lemon, mint, and salt to his water.

“When I arrive at the hotel, I ground myself with bare feet on natural ground as soon as possible, followed by a hot bath with Epsom salts,” the 24-time major champion told Travel + Leisure magazine, external.

“Then on the first morning, I try to watch the sunrise, to reset my brain.”

Natural herbal tablets, often containing plant-based ingredients like valerian, hops, chamomile and passionflower are a popular coping strategy, while many players have turned to melatonin as a sleep aid.

Taking the hormone, which your brain produces in response to darkness and therefore helps you sleep, has led to serious repercussions for some leading players, though.

Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek was banned for one month in 2024 after failing a doping test because the melatonin she took to avoid jetlag was contaminated.

In 2023, Greece’s then-world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas blamed the tablets for a sluggish performance in his French Open quarter-final thrashing by Carlos Alcaraz.

Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek says tennis did not need the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka as the women’s game “stands on its own”.

Women’s number one Sabalenka and male player Kyrgios faced off in a highly publicised exhibition in Dubai a week ago.

Kyrgios won the match – played on a modified court designed to provide a level playing field – in straight sets.

But Swiatek says tennis has come a long way since the original ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973 which highlighted the women’s game fighting for legitimacy and prize money.

“I haven’t watched [Sabalenka v Kyrgios] because I don’t watch stuff like that,” the world number two said.

“I think for sure it attracted a lot of attention. It was entertainment, but I wouldn’t say that had anything to do with social change or any important topics.

“I think the name was just the same as the one from the Billie Jean King match in ’73. That’s it. There were no more similarities because I feel like women’s tennis stands on its own right now.

“We have so many great athletes and great stories to present, we don’t necessarily need to compare to men’s tennis.

“Honestly, there doesn’t need to be any competition.”

Swiatek said the mixed-team United Cup – which got under way in Australia on Friday – is a better way to celebrate men’s and women’s tennis.

Ties at the United Cup comprise of one men’s and one women’s singles match and a mixed doubles.

“Events like this one, United Cup, brings tennis together, and WTA fans and ATP fans can watch this event with so much excitement,” she said.

“Seeing also singles players that usually don’t have space to play mixed doubles together, playing these kind of matches, I think this is actually what makes our sport much more interesting and better.”

Emma Raducanu and Billy Harris are representing Great Britain at the tournament and play their first game against Japan in Perth on Sunday.