Tommy Paul controls everything down to his protein powder

The tennis calendar is a maelstrom of travel, competition, injuries, and occasional illnesses. Tommy Paul knows all about that as he has dealt with all of those variables just within the past week.

However, Paul wants to eliminate as many uncontrollable elements as possible from his life.

As the American tennis star prepares for the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, he relies on his new partner, Dymatize. The leading sports nutrition brand expanded its roster of athletes to include Paul in January 2025.

Before Paul kicks off his Indian Wells campaign on Friday, he spoke with Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI about his favorite protein powder, training schedule, and goals for the 2025 ATP season.

What made you want to partner with Dymatize?

"As an athlete, I really want to focus on not missing any steps and doing everything to the best of my ability. I know Dymatize does everything the best in the business. For me, it's so important to have someone like that. Their ISO100 is the best in the business. It's something I'm pumped about it."

What is your favorite Dymatize ISO100 flavor?

"I love the chocolate. But at least once or twice a week, I'll switch it up with the Fruity Pebbles. That one is really good, too."

How do you balance training and recovery during the hectic tennis season?

"That's something that all players are figuring out on their own, and it looks different for every person. For a sport like tennis, recovery is the most important thing, and we really don't have much of a break. So, any chance we get where we can do something, we do it.

That's why Dymatize is huge. Sometimes, we only have 12 or 14 hours between matches. If I can get something like Dymatize that I trust and I know can get me back and ready to play, it's so important."

Do you have any unusual match day routines or rituals?

"You try to do as much the same every match. Every pre-match should look as similar as possible, but every tournament looks so different. We try to keep routines the same, whether it's a similar breakfast or lunch.

But I mean, we never know what time we're playing. I could play at 11 a.m. or 11 p.m. It's so different all the time. But when it comes to who I work with or what I do, that's a controllable for me. I always want to control the things that I can control and keep everything as consistent as possible."

How do you feel about your season so far?

"I think I started off the season pretty well in Australia. I always like playing down there. Then, Dallas. Then, I couldn't play Delray because I had a little bit of a shoulder injury that popped up out of nowhere.

Then Acapulco, last week, I got food poisoning down there. So, I've had a few missed opportunities. Not really anything that I can control though. I think I've been playing great tennis.

Now, I'm getting ready for the BNP. It's a tournament I love to play in, and all Americans go to and look for an opportunity to play on the home soil. We love playing these matches."

Are there any specific tournaments you have circled on your calendar?

"As competitors, tennis players love playing on the biggest stages. All of the biggest tournaments, especially when they're in the States...

I love playing on the grass, and I'm trying to get better on clay. So, there's a reason to be excited for every tournament. That's how I look at it.

I try to treat every tournament the same. Obviously, not every tournament is the same. But I think that's a good way to go about it to try and eliminate the lull days."

What are your goals for Indian Wells and the rest of the season?

"I think you shouldn't go to a tournament unless your goal is to win it. I come to every tournament trying to win it. That's the goal here. That's why I'm here: to leave with the trophy.

Last year, my goal was top ten, and I was so close to getting it. Then, in the second week of this year, I got into the top ten. So, that was a big goal accomplished for me. The goal moving forward is to win a big tournament like this and get into the top five."

Last question: If you were in a Space Jam scenario, defending Earth against aliens, who would you pick as your doubles partner?

"Probably, Reilly Opelka. We're just kind of like partners in crime a little bit. We grew up together. We lived together for a long time. I feel like we have the team chemistry."

And we know that he's a huge supporter of doubles tennis, so there's that.

(Laughs) Exactly.

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