"A lucky charm and my way of respecting the country" - When Novak Djokovic opened up on reason behind always wearing red in China
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will not be competing in China this season, effectively pulling out of the Shanghai Masters next month.
That's not to say that the Serb has not enjoyed success in the region. In fact, he has lifted four ATP Masters 1000 titles in Shanghai — including in 2015.
That year, Djokovic was asked about his apparel, with a journalist asking him about his choice to don red-coloured T-shirts for all his matches in China during one of his post-match press conferences.
Responding to the question, Djokovic said that he belived red to be his "lucky charm" when playing in China. He went on to note that wearing red was also his way of respecting the country, given that it makes for a dominant shade in their national sporting uniforms.
"I believe so," Novak Djokovic said. "I know it's a lucky national color, so it's my lucky charm and my ways of respecting this country and its color."
Djokovic also spoke about the love and support that he received in China during the press conference, saying he had felt the love grow every year that he returned to the country.
"Each year that I've been coming back to China," Novak Djokovic said. "I feel more and more support and love from the loyal fans. I was talking about that many times during this two weeks."
"I try to learn every day a new Chinese character" - Novak Djokovic on trying to learn Chinese
Dubbing his connection with China as "special" during the same press interaction, Novak Djokovic said he was always able to get the best out of himself when playing in the country.
"I have to mention it again really because it is something special," Novak Djokovic said. "Because of them I manage to play this well and get the necessary energy to be out here and get the best out of myself."
The Serb revealed that he had also tried his hand at learning Mandarin, saying he tried to master a character and phrase every day he was in the country. He said that he hoped to improve his conversational skills by the time he visited the country next.
"Yeah, I try to learn every day a new Chinese character, a new phrase," he conitnued. "I need to work on my phrases more because I've been saying one same thing for too many years. So hopefully at this time next year you'll hear a little bit more."
Djokovic last played in Shanghai during the 2019 season, making the quarterfinals. His last title at the tournament came a year prior in 2018.