Although Novak Djokovic fell short of claiming his 100th tour-level title in Shanghai, he expressed his deep affection for China upon his return after five years, calling it one of the happiest places he has visited in his career.
SHANGHAI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Dressed in red from jersey to shoes, 37-year-old Novak Djokovic paid tribute to all the fans at Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and wrote different Chinese characters on the camera lens after winning a match, continuing his routine of showing love for China at the ATP Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic told the press that the whole world knows the red color represents China. "I do it intentionally. I wear red as a respect to Chinese culture and tradition. Hopefully, red brings luck. I've been playing well in red, so I keep the tradition going," he said.
Though losing to world No.1 Jannik Sinner in the final of the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, Djokovic proved he still has competitiveness in high-level events.
"My main motivation comes from a lot of passion for the sport and also the desire to keep competing. There are kinds of matches and challenges that I still strive for being in a position to play against the best players in the world on the biggest stage of the finals of the biggest tournaments," he said.
Having clinched four Shanghai Masters titles, Djokovic has made his name a legend among Chinese fans. "It's been five years, coming back to one of the happiest places I've had in my career, a country where I had plenty of success on the tennis courts, many titles won, great memories," Djokovic said.
The great support from the fans in China has left a strong impression on the Serbian star. "They are probably the most unique, the most passionate fans and so dedicated, daily waiting for you and really feeding you with a lot of love and energy," he noted.
Djokovic has also paid close attention to the development of tennis in China. As the Paris Olympic champion for men's singles, Djokovic revealed he is a "big fan" of Zheng Qinwen, who claimed gold in the women's singles, making history for China.
"She's so young. She made China proud this year at the Olympic Games. She brought the gold medal, I think first ever in tennis for China, so it's a big deal. She's a great person, and a really good player that keeps on improving. We have a nice relationship off the court, and when we have a chance, we chat," said Djokovic, adding that he is available to Zheng anytime she wants his advice.
Djokovic also described Zhang Zhizhen as "the most successful male Chinese player." "He's climbing the rankings, and he's helping also other players to believe that they can get to the high rankings," Djokovic said.
The tennis legend is optimistic about the future of Chinese tennis. "I think the Chinese mentality is such that, when they are dedicated to something, they're really dedicated to something, you can see that working hard is not an issue here. I'm really happy and excited to see how Chinese tennis will grow in the future," Djokovic noted. ■