The Unexpected Reason For Why Novak Djokovic Eats Grass

A big part of childhood is eating weird things: dirt, grass, dandelions, earthworms. Fortunately, none of these are particularly dangerous, especially as a one-time occurrence, but why is grass on this list at all? Why is it weird? What makes it so different from eating a bowl of lettuce?

Well, humans don't have the same anatomy as animals who do eat grass, like cows. Humans have one stomach, unequipped to handle the breakdown of cellulose in grass. Cows, on the other hand, have four stomachs full of cellulose-destroying bacteria. According to Live Science, grass also contains a lot of silica, which can quickly wear down teeth.

Much better options for eating greens exist, so it's hard to understand why someone might choose to eat grass, especially as an adult. So, why is there a rumor circulating that professional tennis player Novak Djokovic eats grass? And more importantly, why does he eat grass?

Dreams of Wimbledon and eating grass

In a Wired YouTube video, Djokovic answers the web's most searched questions about him. Strangely enough, one of these questions is "Why does Novak Djokovic eat grass?" (Actually, this question isn't so strange compared to the vast majority of the internet.)

While initially joking it's because he is vegetarian, Djokovic goes on to talk about his lifelong love of tennis.

"I've always dreamt of winning Wimbledon and I wanted to do something different," he said. "I didn't come up with a more original idea, so I thought I might as well just eat some grass. A lot of people ask me how it tastes, and it's the best freaking grass in the world."

While eating grass might be a weird way to celebrate, it's no weirder than doing a victory dance or stuffing yourself with game day snacks. Maybe for his next win, Djokovic will bring some dressing or cheese to round out his daily serving of greens.