There's nothing crazy about my diet but no fried meals, nothing

When Petra Kvitová said, “There’s nothing crazy about my diet but no fried meals, nothing fatty, and not much meat,” she was not merely describing her daily habits, but speaking of balance, discipline, and the simplicity of strength. Her words are quiet, almost humble, yet they carry the force of wisdom — the kind that comes from harmony with oneself. In a world that glorifies extremes, she chooses moderation; in an age obsessed with novelty, she honors consistency. Her statement, plain and unadorned, is a hymn to equilibrium — the art of caring for the body without enslaving the spirit.

The ancients knew this truth well. The philosopher Aristotle called it the Golden Mean — the virtue that lies between excess and deficiency. He taught that courage is found between fear and recklessness, and that health, too, resides between indulgence and deprivation. Petra Kvitová, though a warrior of the modern courts, embodies this ancient law in her life. Her diet, she says, is “nothing crazy.” It is not about denying herself pleasure, but about living in accord with nature’s rhythm — eating to nourish, not to numb; training the body to serve, not to suffer. She reminds us that wisdom is often quiet, and that the path to mastery is not paved with chaos, but with calm.

To avoid fried meals, to turn away from fatty indulgences, to limit meat — these are not acts of punishment but of mindfulness. The athlete’s body, like a chariot, must be light, swift, and resilient. Feed it poorly, and it falters; feed it with care, and it flies. In her restraint, Kvitová mirrors the warriors of ancient Sparta, whose strength came not from abundance but from discipline. The Spartan soldiers were not permitted to live in luxury, for they believed that comfort dulled courage. Their meals were simple, their habits austere — yet their endurance was legendary. So too does Petra’s moderation prepare her not merely for battle on the court, but for the balance of a life lived with intention.

Yet her message is not one of denial, but of freedom. In saying her diet is “nothing crazy,” she rejects the frenzy of modern perfectionism — the endless search for miraculous routines and rigid rules. She chooses instead the wisdom of consistency. The ancients would have called this sophrosyne — the harmony of mind and body, where one neither starves nor surrenders, but lives in right measure. To eat with awareness is to honor the body as a sacred companion. To live without obsession is to preserve joy, the very essence of vitality.

There is also humility in her words — a kind of quiet confidence that flows not from restriction, but from mastery. The champions of history, whether in sport, war, or art, have always known that greatness comes not from doing what is extraordinary once, but from doing what is ordinary with extraordinary devotion. The Roman gladiator prepared not through indulgence, but through repetition and focus. The samurai trained not with intensity alone, but with constancy. Petra’s diet, simple as it may seem, reflects this timeless truth: excellence is built upon the discipline of daily choices.

Her example calls us back to the wisdom of the earth itself — to eat what is pure, to live lightly, to listen to the quiet needs of the body. The ancients taught that when man lives out of balance with nature, sickness follows; when he honors the natural order, strength returns. Petra Kvitová, by choosing moderation over excess, lives as they once did — not by rules imposed from without, but by harmony found within. The clarity of her words reflects the clarity of her way of life: calm, deliberate, and rooted in respect for her own well-being.

Let this, then, be the lesson: greatness does not demand extremity. Health is not found in obsession, nor virtue in deprivation. It is the steady flame, not the burning fire, that lights the path to longevity. Begin with simple acts — avoid what burdens the body, embrace what sustains it, listen to your energy as you would to a trusted teacher. Feed yourself not for pleasure alone, but for purpose. In this, you will discover what Petra Kvitová has found — that peace and power are not opposites, but allies.

Thus, her words, though soft as a breeze, carry the force of a truth as old as the mountains: to live well is to live in balance. To eat with care, to move with grace, to rise each morning ready and unburdened — this is the quiet strength of the wise. And in that wisdom, there is no madness, no chaos, no “crazy diet” — only the pure, enduring harmony between the human spirit and the life that sustains it.