ATP Tour

Galan: The resilience of a vegetarian on Tour

Daniel Elahi Galan and his diet are living proof that there’s more than one path to the ATP Tour’s elite.

The former No. 56 in the PIF ATP Rankings – now at No. 144 – has never eaten beef, chicken, fish, or even egg in his life. Despite being told many times that such a diet would hold him back in professional tennis, the Colombian has stayed true to his principles.

Galan, who faces World No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday, sat down with ATPTour.com to discuss his nutrition, the challenges that come with being a vegetarian in first-class sport, and much more.

Which food from your childhood do you still enjoy?
Things that my mum made for me and still makes for me. Beans, for example. Also some plantain rolls with cheese and guava paste. And cakes. As I can never eat desserts, because they almost always contain eggs, I make the most of my time when I’m home and she cooks them.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Pizza, but I hardly ever eat it. Very rarely. I remember the first time I went to Italy, I was eating pizza for lunch and dinner, but it was just once. It’s not good for an athlete. In Italy, in general, it’s difficult for me to be there because there is a lot of temptation. Fortunately, I don’t eat eggs, so I can barely eat any desserts or breads or things like that. In that sense it helps me.

Pizza seems to be your weakness…
The first time I won a Challenger, in 2018 in San Benedetto, I was eating pizza before going on court. In Italy all the restaurants close from 3pm to 7pm or from 3pm to 8pm. So everything was closed. There was just one pizzeria open. The first day I had no other options, and then I had to keep eating like that.

Do you eat anything specific the night before a match?
I try to eat protein because in general my diet lacks protein, so I try to eat grains: beans, chickpeas, lentils. That is a must.

What do you eat before a match?
Rice with some beans or quinoa, not too much.

And during a match?
A banana or an apple. And I drink water and a hydration drink. The routine doesn’t change if it’s a three or five-set match. I used to have yoghurt, when I was starting to compete, but not anymore. I remember when I was going to a third set, I would have yoghurt because I liked how it made me feel full. But technically it was not good.

What would you eat during a week away from competition that you normally avoid during tournaments?
Apart from pizza, a lot of vegetarian croissants, egg-free. My favourite vegan dessert is croissants, but I hardly eat them. I look for them wherever I go, but I rarely find them.

What’s your favourite restaurant in the world?
I don’t have one. But I could say L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, one of the oldest pizzerias in the world in Naples. I had a margherita and it was really good.

What’s the best food from your country?
Bandeja paisa, but I can’t eat everything in a bandeja paisa. At home we make a vegetarian version. Also the best food in my country could be arepas. They’re everywhere in Colombia.

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Have there been tough moments being a vegetarian on Tour?
When we played at Challengers in towns in the middle of nowhere, yes. It’s very difficult when there are barely any restaurants. In cases like that it’s just vegetables, rice and pasta. You can’t have anything else. It is what it is, I can’t complain. But now there are more options everywhere, much more than before.

Have you ever been stigmatised because of your diet?
Yes, but I don’t care. People have said: ‘You have to eat meat, otherwise you won’t be able to perform on court.’ But I never let it affect me. It’s my way of eating. I’d never eat meat and I never have; not beef, chicken, egg, fish... It’s so much a part of me that it’s normal now. I know it’s unusual in my profession and for athletes in general, but it feels normal to me. I don’t think about it. We’re all like that in my house; my parents, my three siblings and I.

Why do you follow that diet?
I know it’s good for the animals, for the environment, but I can’t say that’s why I did it initially. I was brought up like that, and to me it’s still the most appropriate way to eat. I’m vegetarian, I can’t say that I’m vegan because sometimes I consume dairy, but eventually I will become vegan.

Have you ever met anyone on Tour with a diet similar to yours?
There’s a doubles player. [Miguel] Reyes-Varela, but no others I can remember right now. I’ve heard that [Novak] Djokovic is vegan, but that sometimes he’ll consume animal protein. But I’m not really sure, I’ve never spoken to him about it.

What benefits do you think you get from your diet in terms of competing?
All diets have pros and cons. It’s normal. I think I have more long-term resilience because of my vegetarian diet. I don’t think I have as much inflammation. There’s a certain amount of inflammation that comes with meat because it’s always pushing your body to the limit. And I think I’m less susceptible to injuries, that could be because of my diet. But it could also be the reason I lack some explosiveness. Someone who eats a lot of meat might be much more explosive and energetic. I don’t have such high peaks, but I don’t have lows either. I’m more neutral. It’s partly the diet and partly to do with personality.