All athletes have their own traditions and routines that they follow in order to best serve them during a performance. While we always hear of the strict diets, fasting, and various other health routines, it’s rare to hear of the more laid-back route to sports success, i.e., just taking it one step at a time and not really depriving oneself. Recently it came to light that Jessica Pegula, who has won 8 singles and 7 doubles titles, has that slightly more relaxed approach to the whole thing; maybe it helps being relaxed when your family owns both the Buffalo Bills and Sabres, or maybe being relaxed helps your game—who’s to say?

Recently, in Paris, Pegula, who was in the city for the French Open, where she lost to Lois Boisson in the fourth round, was interviewed by Tennis.com, where she was asked to ‘dish’ about things such as her favorite dishes. And she gave fans a keen insight into what life is like on the road for her: “I’m not overly strict… It’s not like there is a certain window where you could be strict,” Pegula said. “If you want to be strict, you’d be strict 11 months out of the year, and that’s just kind of insane.”

However, she was then asked if tennis players ‘cheat’ when it comes to their routines, however strict or unstrict they are, and Pegula gave readers an interesting take on the lifestyle.

“I do think maybe we cheat a little bit more than other sports. It’s ’cause (food) is, like, the only thing we have!” Pegula said, adding, “You have all these things going on, you’re traveling, you’re taken out of your element every single week. Sometimes the thing that keeps you sane is going to a good restaurant.”

Come to think of it, imagine tennis players moving around between Madrid, Italy, Paris, and Wimbledon, and if they’re not eating well, then what a missed opportunity! But do all players feel this way?

Some other crazy diet fads in tennis

While Jessica Pegula might be taking it easy and enjoying herself and the food culture of every new place she visits for a tournament, there are some other players who have a different take on the whole thing altogether.

Andy Murray, or rather now, Sir Andy Murray, was known to pack on the calories during a tournament. In a serious way! He apparently ate up to 6000 calories a day while he was on tour, consisting of a breakfast of yogurt, a peanut butter bagel, and a protein shake, and tons of red meat, pasta, and sushi! A lot of sushi, actually. In fact, Murray is known to be able to put down 50 sittings of sushi in a single go, and his team has the delicacy ready in coolers for when he’s done with a match!

Then there’s Djokovic, who leads quite the contrasting lifestyle, and it seems to be working for him. In fact, Nole is known for his stoic, clean eating, consisting of no gluten, red meat, dairy, sugar, or grains. So what does the star eat? Djokovic instead swears by a glass of warm water to cleanse and detoxify his system, while each of his meals are carefully calibrated to meet the needs of his high-functioning body, with superfoods packed in and calories seriously counted.

And last but not least, we have Rafael Nadal. When you come from a country that prioritizes afternoon siestas, you’ve got to be a little chill about things in general, and that’s probably why Nadal outright does not believe in diets. Similar to Pegula, Nadal sticks to what he loves: chocolates, olives, and his mother’s paella, and is a prime example of how it’s not a one-shoe-fits-all thing with tennis and diets; sometimes a player’s just got to do what makes them happy to succeed. Clearly Jessica Pegula has figured her thing out; she’s world number three despite regularly cheating with french fries!