Novak Djokovic played tennis with Chinese actor and singer Wang Yibo on the Great Wall of China before the Shanghai Open.
Novak Djokovic plays tennis with Wang Yibo on the Great Wall of China (Images via X)
Novak Djokovic played tennis on the Great Wall of China! He is the brand ambassador for the sports and fashion company Lacoste and the brand paid tribute to the Serbian legend in a unique way. They organized a tennis match on Sunday (September 29) between Djokovic and Chinese actor and singer Wang Yibo.
Unfortunately for both of them, it started to rain. When the match was about to start and Djokovic saw Yibo walked on to the court, he joked that Yibo looked like a strong player, which is why he needed to stretch. Djokovic even challenged the 27-year-old to meet him on a dry surface.
Djokovic has been the brand ambassador for the French brand since 2017. The Serb, however, publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Lacoste this year at Wimbledon due to its marketing promotion. He was “frustrated” that fans looking to buy his products couldn’t find them in Lacoste stores.
As it was raining heavily, Novak Djokovic and Wang Yibo started to play slowly to avoid any slipping on the ground. It was indeed quite difficult for Djokovic to hit and one of Yibo’s backhand even ‘forced’ the Serb to go out of the court. Finally, Yibo won the match and threw his arms in the air, and later received praise from the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic last played at the US Open, where he failed to reach the fourth round for the first time in 18 years. Following the US Open, he represented Serbia in the Davis Cup and won both of his singles and doubles matches. The Serb skipped the Laver Cup and is yet to play his first tournament on the Asian swing.
Djokovic will next play at the Shanghai Open, the main draw of which starts on September 30. He will play in the tournament for the first time since 2019.