Taylor Fritz, 28, said playing “League of Legends” is as much a part of his tennis routine as sleep and recovery.
Speaking to GQ in an interview published on Wednesday, the tennis star said playing video games helps him decompress.
“When you’re training and traveling, you don’t always have the energy — nor even should you be going out and doing stuff. You need that time to do something that’s not as active,” Fritz said.
Fritz said he had also seen studies suggesting that the video game he plays, “League of Legends,” can improve focus. Developed by Riot Games, the game pits two teams of five against each other, with the goal of destroying the enemy’s base.
He added that he’s experienced those effects himself.
“I’ve definitely noticed crossover: When I feel like my brain’s working well when I’m playing the game, my brain’s working well when I’m on the court,” Fritz said.
In the lead-up to his 2023 Atlanta Open win, Fritz said he had been having a good week playing “League of Legends” too, and felt mentally sharp heading into the tournament.
“It’s like playing chess with pieces that are almost moving without your control. I could feel that my mind was just working really well, and then I could feel that whole week on the court as well,” Fritz said.
“It was very obvious to me that my decision-making and focus were elevated that week,” he continued.
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Gaming is one part of Fritz’s off-court routine. To stay in top shape, he said he aims to eat 200 grams of protein a day and has a go-to Chipotle order that helps him hit that target without going overboard on calories.
“It was a lighter portion of rice, no beans, double chicken, the fajita veggies, and then I would go really light sour cream and cheese,” Fritz said, adding that he gets hot salsa on the side.
With the demanding travel and match schedule on tour, Fritz said he also has to manage his sleep carefully. He adjusts his bedtime depending on when he is due to play a match.
If he knows he’ll be playing a match at night, he’ll start shifting his body clock a few days beforehand by going to sleep as late as 1 a.m. and waking around late morning or noon.
“And I’m just starting to get on this weird sleep cycle to where I will feel very awake and ready to play my match if I’m playing at eight,” he said.
Fritz has previously spoken about the habits that help him stay healthy and focused on tour.
He told Business Insider in 2022 that Chipotle is a regular part of his diet during tournament season. “I think a lot of people don’t understand how good it is as a post-workout meal. It’s got everything,” he said.
In 2023, Fritz told Business Insider that he needs to have a high-protein breakfast. “I usually don’t eat a lot for breakfast, but I always have protein of some kind. I never start my day without it,” Fritz said.
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