Go to bed early or stay awake? How some tennis players battle jet lag

In this Life on Tour series, WTA Insider spoke with a range of players across the rankings spectrum, offering fans a glimpse into the lesser-seen aspects of their experiences as they traverse the globe.

In a job that crisscrosses time zones and continents from week to week, jet lag is an occupational hazard on the Hologic WTA Tour. The 2024 season kicks off in less than two weeks, which means hundreds of tennis players and their support teams will soon be boarding long-haul flights to their various starting destinations in Australia and New Zealand.

With that in mind, we asked players how they manage their jet lag throughout the season.

Katie Boulter: Melotonin, 100 percent. When I discovered melatonin, my life changed. I don't take it very often, and when I do, the only reason is because of jet lag. It just gives you that little nudge to get to sleep when you really need to. And I don't get much of a hangover. I'm not a fan of putting drugs in my system, but that's one I stand by. 

Marta Kostyuk: No matter how tired you feel, like when it's the kind of jet lag where you cannot get out of bed in the morning, wake up when you would usually wake up and go work out right away. You boost your hormones to wake up and you stay awake for as long as you can until the evening. 

Another tip: If you can't fall asleep in the evening, eat early so that your body will feel more tired going to sleep and you will actually sleep the whole night. Otherwise, you'll be digesting your food for half the night and you won't be fully recovered. So if you want to go to sleep at 9, eat at 4. 

Tatjana Maria: Stay awake. What we do with two kids is keep them awake. They're good sleepers, but when we go somewhere we try to stay awake as long as possible or take a short 20-minute nap and wake up right away. But no long sleeping. Sometimes it's hard, but we have to be focused for the first few days so that the nights go smoothly. 

Anhelina Kalinina: I have no secret except melatonin. It works for the first three days and then after that, I can sleep by myself. Also, try to sleep at the same time every day. If you jump around, it doesn't work. I try to sleep at 9 and after three or four days, I'm in rhythm.  

Yulia Putintseva: From the States to Europe is the worst jetlag. And flying from Indian Wells to Miami. I always take a red-eye flight, so I arrive early in the morning and just stay up all day. 

The most important is to not sleep the night before so that when I arrive I'm totally tired. I also take melatonin and I drink lavender tea. It's so relaxing.