WATCH: Novak Djokovic stuns teammate and reporter in hilarious press conference moment
Novak Djokovic shocked a reporter and his Serbian teammate and captain by responding to a question by speaking Chinese during a press conference at the United Cup in Perth.
As well as widely being considered the greatest tennis player of all time, Djokovic is a ‘polyglot’ given his remarkable skill of being able to speak several languages.
The 36-year-old is most fluent in Serbian, English and Italian, but is believed to speak as many as 11 languages, including Spanish, French and German.
At the United Cup team competition, Serbia defeated China 2-1 in the opening match in Group E, with Djokovic beating Zhang Zhizhen in the men’s singles rubber.
Following the tie, a Chinese journalist asked Djokovic to wish his huge Chinese fanbase a Happy New Year and demonstrated how to say the phrase in Chinese.
Djokovic showcased he has more than a basic grasp of the language, though, as he did more than simply repeat the requested phrase.
Novak Djokovic speaks perfect Chinese to a journalist who asked him to say “Happy New Year”
He ends up saying that & much more.
Fluent in 11 languages. Wow.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 1, 2024
The Serbian said: “Happy New Year! How are you? Thank you for your support. I love you China, my good friend!”
This surprised the reporter, who replied “Amazing!”, before laughing.
The reaction of his Serbian teammate Olga Danilovic was hilarious, with the 22-year-old WTA player responding with an expression of wide-eyed disbelief, before resting her head on her hand.
Former ATP player and Serbia captain Viktor Troicki also burst out laughing and the reaction of Djokovic’s compatriot’s also caused him to laugh, before he walked out of the press conference.
The entertaining moment was the latest example of Djokovic’s incredible and unique discipline and commitment to improve and learn both on and off the court.
Serbia defeated Czech Republic in their second match in Group E to progress to the United Cup knockout stage as group winners.
They are currently in action against hosts Australia in the quarter-finals in Perth, where Djokovic is playing Alex De Minaur in the first rubber.
Djokovic is looking to lead his nation to a first triumph at the mixed team competition, with the United States having won the inaugural edition in 2023.
The world No 1 will then look to defend his title at the Australian Open, where he is a 10-time champion.
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