Rogers Cup: Tennis Food

On Monday night I attended the Rogers Cup to watch a match between Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova.  I had a great time and left feeling inspired to begin playing tennis on my own...although in this heat I don't think I'll be playing anytime soon.  Going to the tennis match also got me thinking about tennis-themed foods.  It's not like a baseball game where peanuts, cracker jacks, and beer are staples.  I suppose you could make up some cute tennis ball-looking cupcakes, but I wouldn't consider that real "tennis food."  So I did some research and I found out that there are indeed tennis-themed foods! 

Firstly, it is traditional to have strawberries and cream at Wimbledon.  This tradition first began in 1953 "when the Queen issued a decree stating that anyone who didn't buy any when watching tennis would lose their kneecaps" (www.neonbubble.com).  I wouldn't have thought that quite a threat was needed for such a mouthwatering dessert! 

I also learned that tennis players are known for eating lots of bananas before and during the game, and that they are always provided with bananas before any professional tennis match.  This is because of the large amount of potassium in the fruit that will keep the players energy going throughout the game, as well as protect their muscles from cramping.

Sodium is another important thing for tennis players to keep in their system to help prevent muscle cramps.  Muscle cramps are often caused by sodium deficiencies.  The USTA suggests consuming salted pretzels, Gatorade, Endurance Gatorade, and V8 Juice, as they have a "higher sodium content, absorb quickly, and leave your stomach feeling light" (www.usta.com).  Low fat crackers, salted nuts, and trail mix are also great snacks to have to keep sodium in your system.  

Can you think of any other tennis-themed foods?