Novak Djokovic is one of the world's greatest tennis players, but he has always been keen to take his talents and wisdom outside the tennis sphere.
Djokovic is a renowned rare breed of multisport athlete, having previously taken part in a charity football match in South America. He has also extended his tennis hands to the golf course where he teed off a terrific shot on par four in the celebrity-filled all-star match at the Ryder Cup.
But outside the sports genre, Djokovic is also a linguist and proudly boasts of his versatility in grasping several languages apart from his native Serbian. Djokovic is proficient in at least four more languages, including English, Spanish, French, and German.
The nature of the tennis tour involves constant traveling and visits to new, unfamiliar destinations. As one of the most articulate and eloquent speakers in the tennis world, Djokovic is fond of mastering the language of the places he globe-trots while on tour.
One of those countries is China, where Djokovic has visited multiple times in his career and won titles in Beijing and Shanghai (not in 2023, where he chose to skip the Asian swing). During his time there, Djokovic learned basic Mandarin Chinese.
It certainly did come in handy during a recent press conference at the United Cup, where Serbia had defeated China in the group stage, with Djokovic starring in singles and mixed doubles.
A curious Chinese journalist tested the waters and asked Djokovic to wish his Chinese fans a Happy New Year as consolation for winning the tie. Having missed his annual visit to the country last year, Djokovic stunned the entire room when he wholeheartedly complied and did so fluently.
The surprised journalists could be heard clapping while Djokovic's fellow teammate at the United Cup, Olga Danilovic, and team captain Viktor Troicki burst into laughter. Even the man of the hour could not conceal his amusement. Check out the segment in the video below.
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