Tennis legend Novak Djokovic, who has been a plant-based athlete for years now, is just two slam wins away from the men’s record shared by his two rivals- Federer and Nadal.

Plant-based athlete Novak Djokovic won a record-extending ninth men’s singles title at the Australian Open 2021.

The Serbian tennis player defeated Daniil Medvedev with a 7-5 6-2 6-2 victory.

33-year-old Djokovic now holds 18 Grand Slam titles, and this victory brings him just two shy of the number won by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are tied at the top with 20 Slams so far.

The win has now assured the tennis pro of remaining at No. 1 in the rankings at least through March 8, keeping him at the top for 311 weeks straight.

While Djokovic suffered an abdominal muscle tear in his third-round match at the Australian Open, the injury was no match to the athlete’s determination and grit.

According to the tennis legend, people will get an inside view of what he did to recover and be able to continue to play in Melbourne in a documentary that he has been working on and plans to release at the end of 2021.

Plant-based athlete

Although Djokovic is yet to reveal his post-injury regime, he does follow a plant-based diet and attributes his achievements as an athlete to the way he eats.

In a press conference after his third-round win at the same tournament last year, Djokovic revealed that he had cut off meat and dairy and was happy with the benefits he was reaping.

“It is possible to be plant-based and recover well, to have strength, to have muscles,” he said at the conference.

“I seem to have an optimal balance between strength, power, and speed, and nothing seem to be missing at least from my experience so I’ll keep on enjoying that.”

In the past, Djokovic has revealed that his reasons for switching to a plant-based diet are beyond just ditching animal products and enhancing performance.

“It’s a lifestyle more than just a diet because you have ethical reasons as well, being conscious of what is happening in the animal world,” he said.

 “The slaughtering of animals and farming and everything, that’s obviously also a huge impact on climate change which maybe people don’t talk about as much.

“It’s more than a performance reason for me, it’s a lifestyle, it’s something I’m really proud of.”

He added: “Hopefully that community grows even more; hopefully I can inspire other athletes that it is possible to be plant-based.”

• Read: Vegan athlete Novak Djokovic can’t stand animals being slaughtered for food

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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