[vc_empty_space height="5px"]
By Giri Nathan
[vc_empty_space height="25px"]The banana will always maintain pride of place. But there are also dates. And butters (peanut, almond). Salted pretzels. Date-and-coconut gels. Ambiguous gels. Ambiguous bottles of liquids, a kaleidoscope of electrolytes, flavorings, colorings. A pair of bottles arranged ritually at a 45-degree angle to the nearest baseline, if you’re Rafael Nadal. Custom-brewed “Gil Water,” if you’re Andre Agassi. Coffee in a to-go cup delivered by a ball person, if you’re Venus Williams—make it an espresso if you’re Serena. A Snickers washed down with RC Cola, if you’re Marcus Willis. A single carrot, if you’re Jannik Sinner. A salt shaker straight to the mouth, if you’re Daniil Medvedev. Everyone operates with some blend of superstition and sports science, if those are different things.