Novak Djokovic is relishing his return to China by exploring its historical landmarks. Recently, he received love from his wife on one of his Instagram posts as he prepares to return to the ATP Tour at the Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic has not played in China for five years but is back this year to participate in the Masters 1000 event. He has been in the country for the past few days and has uploaded several TikTok and Instagram posts about his visit. Most recently, he explored a historically significant site, likely one of China’s preserved cultural monuments or heritage gardens. He posted four images of himself in front of the monument.
In these images, the Serb immerses himself in traditional Chinese culture. The first image shows Djokovic standing with individuals dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. The second, third, and fourth images depict the former World No. 1 sitting in a traditional courtyard and posing with a traditional-style antique bicycle in one. He captioned the post in Chinese:
“Glad to be back in beautiful China” (Translated from Chinese)
Djokovic’s wife Jelena commented on the picture with multiple heart emojis.
Djokovic also visited one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China.
Novak Djokovic played tennis at the iconic Great Wall of China
Several tennis stars playing in China at the 2024 China Open have visited the Great Wall of China, including Coco Gauff. However, Novak Djokovic, who arrived in the country to participate in the 2024 Shanghai Masters, had a different purpose.
The World No. 4 participated in an event organized by his kit sponsor Lacoste, called “The Shadow of a Champion on the Great Wall”. During the event, he also met Lacoste ambassador and Chinese actor Wang Yibo.
In a behind-the-scenes TikTok, Djokovic shared footage of his meetup with Yibo where the Serb let the Chinese star touch his Paris Olympics gold medal. In an Instagram post, Yibo posted several images of his interaction with Djokovic and captioned it:
“I’m truly honored and delighted to have played tennis with an Olympic Champion at the iconic Great Wall! Big thanks to @lacoste, and thank you Nole @djokernole! I’m already looking forward to our next match, will keep training hard and play big.”
Djokovic, a four-time Shanghai Masters champion, has received a bye in the first round. In the second round, he will face the winner of Alex Michelsen and Yunchaokete Bu’s encounter.