Novak Djokovic had a somewhat unique way to prepare for his debut at this week’s Japan Open in Tokyo.
The 16-time grand slam champion took a break from the court, to travel to the Ryogoku Edo-Noren. A shopping complex which has a full-size sumo ring inside. Djokovic watched some of the wrestlers conduct their morning practice before having a go at the sport himself. Learning how to do sumo moves such as the seiko and suri-ashi. Although he proved to be no match when taking on the professionals.
“It’s a great experience. I’ve never had this experience before. It’s one of the most popular sports in Japan,” Djokovic said.
“I felt that I am out of shape [for sumo] a little bit. I think with a few more kilos, I’ll be ready to compete,” he later joked. “Probably three times as much as I have right now would be the right measurement for me to compete.”
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Whilst it is safe to say that Djokovic doesn’t have a future in sumo wrestling, he has been a fan of the sport for a long time. Speaking with reporters, he spoke about how he used to watch Akebono Taro in action with his father. Taro was the first non-Japanese-born person to reach Yokozuna status. The highest possible ranking in the sport.
“Speaking with my father yesterday on the phone, I was telling him that I’m going to have an opportunity to meet sumo wrestlers.” Djokovic explained. “He and I were remembering many years ago at home [when] we used to watch Akebono, who was someone that we supported a lot.”
The experienced has also changed Djokovic’s perception of the athletes, who are known for their big builds and meals.
“It’s quite impressive to see also how flexible they are. I believe at the beginning they were demonstrating their flexibility,” he said. “I didn’t think that they were that flexible considering it’s a heavyweight sport, but I see that they are paying a lot of attention to the mobility of their joints and the flexibility, which is of course what allows them to move around as agile as possible at their weight.”
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Djokovic returns to action this week in what is his first competition since withdrawing from the US Open due to a shoulder injury. On Monday he started his campaign in the men’s doubles with compatriot Filip Krajinović. The duo were edged out in the first round by fourth seeds Bruno Soares and Mate Pavic, who prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 10-4.
In the singles, Djokovic will open up against Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday.
This week is Djokovic’s 271st as world No.1 He has now overtaken Ivan Lendl into third place on the all-time list. Only Pete Sampras (286 weeks) and Roger Federer (310 weeks) have held the position for a longer period.
