Novak Djokovic prepares to put on his nanotechnology patch during his second-round match at the French Open.
Novak Djokovic prepares to put on his nanotechnology patch during his second-round match at the French Open.
Novak Djokovic has credited a piece of nanotechnology – which claims to turn heat to light – as the “biggest secret” of his success, in the latest of his wacky pseudoscience fads.
Djokovic has a reputation for favouring alternative science, as his anti-vaccination stance during the Covid pandemic made clear.
His controversial French Open campaign has now thrown up a new surprise, with the 22-time major champion wearing a mysterious small metal device affixed to his chest.
“When I was a kid I liked Iron Man a lot, so I try to impersonate Iron Man,” Djokovic said, when probed about the patch, which was spotted during his second-round win over Marton Fucsovics on Wednesday night.
“You know, my team delivers an incredibly efficient nanotechnology to help me deliver my best on the court, so that’s the biggest secret of my career. If it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here.”
There was an awkward silence in the press room, as most journalists present assumed he might be making an odd attempt at humour, but on Thursday a company called Tao Technologies claimed to be the provider of this supposedly life-changing device.
“The nanotechnology in question is Taopatch SPORT and we, Tao Technologies, are the Italian company that produces them,” a post on their Twitter page, which has 156 followers, read. “We specialise in patenting and creating innovative nanotechnological devices for human health and well-being.”
According to the company website, Taopatch SPORT uses “two layers of nanocrystals that convert heat from your body into light” and has “190 therapeutic signals to your nervous system” to help your body “rebalance itself”.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after beating Hungary's Marton Fucsovics during their second round match at Roland Garros. Photo / AP
The company claims the patch, which is awaiting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has benefits including “improving posture, balance and flexibility, boosting athletic performance and focus, reducing stress, anxiety and chronic pain”. It even claims to reduce symptoms for patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.
A member of Djokovic’s team did not respond when approached by Telegraph Sport for comment.
Djokovic has a long history of beliefs when it comes to looking after his body, most of which are largely unsupported by scientific evidence.
In his autobiography, he claimed “kinesiological arm testing” helped diagnose a gluten intolerance by holding a slice of bread to his stomach. He also previously put off elbow surgery for months as he wanted to keep to “more natural” remedies as, in his words, “our bodies are self-healing mechanisms”.
He eventually had surgery and made a full recovery. But his strong beliefs against conventional medicine have impacted his career in recent years.
His refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 infamously saw him deported from Australia and blocked from entering the US for the last two editions of the US Open.
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What is the Taopatch and how is it supposed to work?
Tao Technologies say that their Taopatch is a “Class 1 medical device” according to EU regulations. Which means that it should at least be reasonably safe to use. Whether it actually works or not? Well, here is the first paragraph of the explanation. You judge for yourself.
“Taopatch is a nanotechnology device that combines light therapy and acupuncture. It contains nanocrystals that convert heat from your body into light (it actually glows in the dark). This light is sent into specific acupuncture points on your body, which helps your body ‘remember’ how to naturally communicate with the rest of the body. This leads to lots of health benefits, from better balance and posture to better sleep, focus, athletic performance, pain relief and more.”
Also according to the documentation, Taopatch can be worn in the shower, and lasts for three years. (How can one tell?) There are no batteries because “No, it uses the heat of your body to charge itself. There’s no electricity involved, only photons.”
So do you just strap the thing on? Nope, apparently you need to build up your exposure! Who knew?
“First week you wear it for 4 hours. Second week – 8 hours. Third week – 12 hours (while you’re awake). At the end of the 3rd week you can wear it 24/7.”
And you had better not wash it with anything other than warm water and natural soap. Alcohol-based disinfectant could damage it.
Apparently you strap the Taopatch on to these acupuncture points, wherever they might be. The standard version includes “two layers of nanocrystals and 190 therapeutic signals to your nervous system”, whereas the sport version only has 130 signals.
And fear not! You can use as many of them as you like! “The more the merrier! Fun fact: Fabio (the inventor) has a bunch of them attached on the inside of his helmet.”
Extra water should be consumed during the process, Tao Technologies say. “For normal body functions you need 30ml of water for every kg of body weight. While wearing Taopatch you have to try to increase this intake because it will improve your antioxidant function and help detoxify the body.
“Water will help to put the toxins out of the body. We recommend drinking 1 glass of water every hour while wearing the devices.”
The size of the glass is not mentioned.
Users are advised to wear the device for the full three years, and “we strongly recommend to continuously wearing Taopatch even after that window, so you can allow your body to keep returning to a vibrational state that constantly brings harmony and ease to your entire system.
“Seeing results can be dependent on many factors such as: level of toxicity, hydration, years of existing condition, etc. While results can become visible immediately to some, it may take a little longer for others.”
Possibly forever, if the right planets fail to align?
