Novak Djokovic will be looking for a seventh Wimbledon title when he takes on Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court on Sunday, but it won’t be champagne he’ll be drinking if he wins. The Serbian will instead celebrate his triumph by munching on grass.
It’s a personal tradition that dates back to 2011 for the greatest of all time, when he won his first title at SW19 by beating Rafael Nadal.
After converting the match point, Djokovic dropped to his knees and then tasted the grass in a moment that left spectators perplexed.
The 37-year-old was later questioned about his actions by Sue Barker and admitted his impromptu snack was not part of a premeditated celebration. However, the taste seemed to take him by surprise.
“I didn’t know what to do with the emotions I felt at that moment,” he said. “It was an incredible feeling, so I smelled the weed spontaneously. It felt really good!”
The incident is all the more surprising given that Djokovic follows a particularly strict diet. Known for his dedication to training and healthy eating, he had explained that he starts his day with a glass of hot water and lemon, saying it “helps his body detoxify.”
But he has actually done the same with grass six more times since his first victory. And in 2015, after his win over Roger Federer, he reiterated that grass was “very, very good” to eat and said he had always had it in mind to do something unusual if he ever won the famous Grand Slam.
He added: “It’s a little tradition obviously. When I was a kid I dreamed of winning Wimbledon, so like any kid you dream of doing something crazy when you actually achieve it, if you achieve it, and that was one of the things.”
It seems it’s just the famous Wimbledon grass that he’s willing to experiment with. In 2023, he posted a video of himself snacking on the Centre Court surface and wrote: “I remember the taste and I’m hungry for more #visualization.”
But after beating Frances Tiafoe at the Hurlingham Club before the tournament, he was asked if he was ready to do it again. He replied humorously: “I only eat grass at Wimbledon.”
If Djokovic wants to dine out again this Sunday, he will have to get his revenge on Alcaraz after last year’s final. The Spaniard prevailed in a classic five-set encounter, winning 1-6, 7-6(8-6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
