"Fortnight Fuel" appears in the current issue of ESPN The Magazine.

Strawberries and cream are as much a part of Wimbledon as the all-white outfits and Royal Box. But it isn’t just the fans who arrive at the All England Club to scarf down large quantities of the famous treat. “I have them every day,” says 2011 French Open champ Li Na of her Wimbledon diet. “That’s no joke!”

But when it comes to prematch eats, the No. 7-ranked Li keeps it simple. “Chinese rice with just a bit of meat, chicken or beef,” says Li. “And I drink only water.” For breakfast? “Nothing with sugar. Always cereal with milk and fruit. Then after I hit, a small sandwich. More water.”

Once she’s done competing, however, the rules go out the window. “When I travel the world, I want real Chinese food,” says Li. “In Western restaurants, they cook to the taste of Europeans. So I say, ‘Put spice in it—spicy hot sauce.’” Just not on her strawberries and cream.