Tennis icon Novak Djokovic, with 24 grand slam titles under his belt, has openly acknowledged an area he’s looking to improve as his storied career progresses – his proficiency in Chinese Mandarin. The ace is currently in the region for the Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic, who last set foot in China five years ago, has been gearing up for the competition and reconnecting with the nation, even hitting a few balls on the Great Wall of China for a promotional event.
During a press conference, he expressed his undiminished passion for tennis and his intention to stay connected to the sport post-retirement, attempting to convey this sentiment in Mandarin: “My love for tennis is as deep as ever.”
Switching back to English, he humorously remarked: “Something like that. I guess the Chinese, I see a lot of eyebrows being lift up, so probably missed a couple of words there.”
He candidly admitted: “I have to work on my Chinese. I have regressed, I must say. Five years, it’s been way too long, I have to practice.”
Giving it another shot, Djokovic said: “Oh, yeah, another one, okay. Well, I’ll put another sentence, trying to rectify my mistakes from the last one”. He then spoke again in Chinese: “I wish you peace.”
Returning to English, he confirmed: “Okay? We got it”. Djokovic also shared his enthusiasm for playing in China, citing the “A lot of great support from the fans here in China.”
He said: “They are probably the most unique, the most passionate fans and, you know, always so dedicated, daily waiting for you, giving you presents and really feeding you with a lot of love and energy. So that’s something that I was very excited to experience once again. Yeah, I’m just enjoying my time so far in China.”
Expressing his appreciation for Chinese culture and cuisine with a chuckle, the seasoned athlete remarked: “The secret of me doing well in Asian Swing [the series of tournaments in the Far East] and in China? I think I love dumplings and Chinese language, I think that helps.”
The acclaimed 37-year-old bypassed the opening round and is set to square off against Alex Michelsen come Saturday. Meanwhile, sensations Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner also gear up for second-round play on the same day.
Sinner finds himself competing amidst controversy as WADA has challenged the decision clearing him from any wrongdoing following two failed drug screenings earlier in the year. Crowned the U.S. Open champion, Sinner faced accusations after testing positive in March for an anabolic steroid – though an independent body exonerated him, attributing the cause to accidental contact via a physiotherapist’s treatment.
Contrarily, WADA has taken their objection to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, potentially seeking a sanction that could sideline the 23-year-old Italian for up to two years.