Tennis star Taylor Fritz says playing video games helps keep his brain 'working well' on the court

Taylor Fritz, 28, said playing "League of Legends" is arsenic overmuch a portion of his tennis regular arsenic slumber and recovery.

Speaking to GQ successful an question and reply published connected Wednesday, the tennis star said playing video games helps him decompress.

"When you're training and traveling, you don't ever person the power — nor moreover should you beryllium going retired and doing stuff. You request that clip to do thing that's not arsenic active," Fritz said.

Fritz said he had besides seen studies suggesting that the video crippled he plays, "League of Legends," tin amended focus. Developed by Riot Games, the crippled pits 2 teams of 5 against each other, pinch the extremity of destroying the enemy's base.

He added that he's knowledgeable those effects himself.

"I've decidedly noticed crossover: When I consciousness for illustration my brain's moving good erstwhile I'm playing the game, my brain's moving good erstwhile I'm connected the court," Fritz said.

In the lead-up to his 2023 Atlanta Open win, Fritz said he had been having a bully week playing "League of Legends" too, and felt mentally crisp heading into the tournament.

"It's for illustration playing chess pinch pieces that are almost moving without your control. I could consciousness that my mind was conscionable moving really well, and past I could consciousness that full week connected the tribunal arsenic well," Fritz said.

"It was very evident to maine that my decision-making and attraction were elevated that week," he continued.

Gaming is 1 portion of Fritz's off-court routine. To enactment successful apical shape, he said he intends to eat 200 grams of macromolecule a day and has a go-to Chipotle bid that helps him deed that target without going overboard connected calories.

"It was a lighter information of rice, nary beans, double chicken, the fajita veggies, and past I would spell really ray sour pick and cheese," Fritz said, adding that he gets basking salsa connected the side.

With the demanding recreation and lucifer schedule connected tour, Fritz said he besides has to negociate his slumber carefully. He adjusts his bedtime depending connected erstwhile he is owed to play a match.

If he knows he'll beryllium playing a lucifer astatine night, he'll commencement shifting his assemblage timepiece a fewer days beforehand by going to slumber arsenic precocious arsenic 1 a.m. and waking astir precocious greeting aliases noon.

"And I'm conscionable starting to get connected this weird slumber rhythm to wherever I will consciousness very awake and fresh to play my lucifer if I'm playing astatine eight," he said.

Fritz has antecedently spoken astir the habits that thief him enactment patient and focused connected tour.

He told Business Insider successful 2022 that Chipotle is simply a regular part of his fare during tourney season. "I deliberation a batch of group don't understand really bully it is arsenic a post-workout meal. It's sewage everything," he said.

In 2023, Fritz told Business Insider that he needs to person a high-protein breakfast. "I usually don't eat a batch for breakfast, but I ever person macromolecule of immoderate kind. I ne'er commencement my time without it," Fritz said.