Game, Set, Recharge: Globe-trotting tennis pros fight jet lag by staying one step ahead

Following the ATP and WTA tours can serve as both a geography lesson and an exercise in time zone calculations, for tennis fans and players alike.

While each week might leave bleary-eyed tennis fans to wonder if their fave’s 4:00 a.m. start time is worth setting an alarm for, the pros have to navigate changing time zones too. Part of the job means constant globe-trotting and always being ready to perform at their peak on the court, or to serve face at a promotional event off of it—and do it all while staying fresh week after week.

“And now with a baby, it’s much harder,” new mom Belinda Bencic, a winner in Abu Dhabi, told me. “She’s going to be up all night and everything, no matter what time.

“But also, I think we tennis players are just so used to it by now. Our bodies are used to changing time zones and conditions all the time.”

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All that travel means jet lag is always just around the corner. A temporary sleep disorder that occurs when someone quickly crosses several time zones, jet lag means the body’s internal clock is out of sync with the local time.

I think we players are just so used to it by now. Our bodies are used to changing time zones and conditions all the time. Belinda Bencic on tennis' calendar

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For athletes, jet lag can negatively affect performance, recovery, focus, and mood—so staying on top of it, or finding how to power through, is key when competing abroad.

“You know what's funny, I just try to push through things,” former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka told me in Miami. “I would probably have to take jet lag tips from somebody.”

Osaka asked and so we answered. Baseline has gathered the best travel tips, trusted sleep hacks, a few fails, and more from sport’s most seasoned frequent fliers:

☀️ Get some sunlight

The first tip every player mentioned was getting natural sunlight, and lots of it. But the right sunlight is just as important.

Light exposure has been shown to reset the body’s internal clock, and viewing sunlight within the first hours of waking is said to boost alertness, mood and sleep quality. It’s especially helpful when players are travelling east, such as going from North America to Europe, or Europe to Asia. This usually causes worse jet lag than the opposite direction because it shortens the day, making it harder for the body to adjust.

Frances Tiafoe, a fan of the Washington Wizards, says there are pros and cons to losing sleep during this part of the red-clay season.

“I go to Europe every year and that’s usually around NBA Playoffs time. So for me, I struggle with jet lag to get on the proper time, but then also it’s like… You wake up at 3 a.m. and don’t really mind it because you can just put the game on,” Tiafoe tells me with a grin.

“In my mind I’m just like, 'Oh well, I can watch hoops for five hours!' But then, I can’t see at two o’clock. It just takes longer for me.”

🥗 Stay one step ahead

The protocol for beating jet lag is to always stay one step ahead:

“Basically, as fast as possible, you have to kind of pretend you’re already in the time zone that you’re going to,” Bencic explained. “So even on the plane, you should try to sleep and try to eat at the time zone that you’re going into.

“The quickest way to adapt is to kind of shock yourself on the first day. Just try to stay awake or go straight to sleep.”

Or, as Tiafoe puts it: “For a couple days, just tell yourself you’re not tired, even though you’re dying.”

💊 Use with caution

When asked her go-to way to fend off jet lag, Doha winner Amanda Anisimova had a straightforward strategy: “Take melatonin for the first few nights!”

Melatonin supplements can help regulate sleep and help the body adjust to a new time zone quicker—but it’s not a magic fix. Timing is everything, as research shows melatonin only works if taken at the right time, around 30 minutes before the desired bedtime.

In fact, it can do more harm than good when it’s not, which Stefanos Tsitsipas found out the hard way at the 2023 French Open. After crashing out to Carlos Alcaraz following a sluggish straight-sets performance, the Greek said: “One thing that I'm going to try to avoid in the future is to (not) have melatonin pills and naps before matches, because it clearly doesn't seem to be working.”

Risks can even go beyond a poor match or a lethargic morning, as a bad batch of melatonin threatened to derail Iga Swiatek’s career last year. The five-time Grand Slam winner tested positive for low levels of a prohibited substance called trimetazidine, a contamination that was eventually traced back to the supplements she took "for jet lag and sleep issues.”

😴 Rethink nap time

Having travelled the world over year after year since they were teenagers, some professional tennis players have developed the envy-inducing ability of being able to fall asleep anywhere and anytime for a power nap.

Aryna Sabalenka is one of those people.

“Oh, I’m not the person to talk about jet lag! You just give me an opportunity to sleep, and I’m gonna sleep, you know? I’m easy when it’s about sleeping,” the world No. 1 said, laughing.

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For the rest of us, experts recommend sticking to a strict sleep schedule (even when you’re not tired yet) and limit napping to a short snooze not too late in the day.

“Sometimes, like everyone, I’m struggling with sleeping, but I think it’s important to try to shut down all of your thoughts—which is probably not that easy!” Sabalenka added. “Just try to block everything out, concentrate on your breathing, and just pull down your nervous system.”

Stay tuned on Baseline for more of Game, Set, Recharge, which features your favorite ATP and WTA pros sharing their favorite travel tips, wellness secrets and more.

Sources: Mayo Clinic, WebMD