The Language Skills of Tennis’ Top Players
For players on tour, the ATP schedule has them globe-trotting most of the year. Tennis is a global game, and the top players come from all over the world. Between the diversity of the game’s top players and the international schedule, there’s plenty of opportunity for language learning. Not to mention that if you win a tournament, you have to make a speech — and the fans really like it if you try to speak their language. In today’s blog, we’ll take a look at the language skills of tennis’ top players, and we’ll answer some of your most burning questions including “What languages does Rafael Nadal speak?”, “What are San Wawrinka’s main languages?”, and whether Pavel Kotov and Simona Halep are as skillful with languages as they are with the racket.
Table of Contents
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Languages Spoken By Tennis’ Top Ranked Male Tennis Players
1. Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal may be one of the world’s top tennis players, but he isn’t exactly known for his linguistic skills. When asked in an online interview, he said, “I speak other than Spanish, Mallorcan (sort of Catalan language) and my ‘funny’ English. Roger and I speak English, oh well, I try to speak English….”
If you want to feel good about your own English skills, you can find some of his humorous attempts at speaking English on YouTube. It’s quite entertaining!
2. Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is the all-around strongest linguist on tour, particularly when considering his high ranking. The world number two describes himself as a fan of languages and speaks his native Serbian, as well as English, German, Italian, and French.
For a fun example of his linguistic prowess, check out videos of Novak giving French lessons during the 2009-2010 Paris Bercy tournament. He shares specific tennis vocabulary in French, including words like “service” (serve), “coup droit” (forehand), and “revers” (backhand). You can find these moments on YouTube to see Djokovic’s impressive language skills in action.
3. Stan Wawrinka
Another polyglot, the world number 3 gives Novak a run for his money in the language department (much as he did at last year’s Australian open). He also speaks five languages: French, German, English, Czech, and Italian.
Despite his early exit from the French this year, his classy victory speech from the Australian Open shows off his fluent English skills:
4. Roger Federer
A decorated champion and all-time great, Roger Federer has had occasions to make speeches in every arena on tour. Luckily, he’s up to the task. He speaks German, French, and English fluently. Spanish… perhaps not so much. For a lighthearted moment, you can find a video titled “Roger Federer laughing to death at TV interview” on YouTube. In this clip, a CNN presenter asks Federer to stay quiet while he asks questions in Spanish, but Federer can’t stop laughing for reasons unknown.
Languages Spoken By Tennis’ Top Ranked Female Tennis Players
1. Serena Williams
Despite her early and unexpected exit from the French Open, Serena Williams remains the one to beat on the women’s tour. Like Roger Federer, she’s had countless opportunities to give winners’ speeches in various countries. Serena speaks her native English, Spanish, French, and even some Italian. For a delightful example, you can find videos of Serena speaking Italian to the crowd after winning in Rome on YouTube. It’s impressive to see her connect with fans in their native language.
2. Li Na
This year’s Australian Open winner and two-time Grand Slam champion, Li Na, speaks her native Mandarin and English. Her winner’s speech at the Australian Open not only demonstrated her proficiency in English but also her ability to tell jokes, much to the delight of the Australian audience. You can find her memorable and humorous speech on YouTube.
3. Agnieszka Radwanska
As the top-ranked tennis star from Poland, Agnieszka Radwanska is in good company, with several highly ranked women also speaking her native Polish. She embraces every opportunity to use her native language on tour. In an interview with the New York Times, she said, “It’s good to not all the time have to speak in English on the tour… It’s good to get the chance to speak your own language; it makes you more comfortable.”
Despite this, she seems quite comfortable speaking English as well. You can watch her demonstrate her English skills in the video “Agnieszka Radwanska qualifies for 2013 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul” on YouTube.
4. Simona Halep
The WTA’s most improved player from 2013, Romanian Simona Halep, is also making great strides in learning English. As an avid Harry Potter fan, she uses the books to help raise her English level. She told Yahoo Sports, “I want to improve more. I speak better than last year, but I still have to learn…. Now I speak more with my coach in English and it’s good.”
She handled an English language interview at the Australian Open very well, showcasing her progress. You can find this interview on YouTube to see her impressive language skills in action.
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If you want to be as skilful as these tennis players (at least when it comes to languages!), consider taking private language lessons with our native teachers. Whether you aim to master a new language or improve your existing skills, our experienced instructors can help you achieve your goals and make you a champion in the realm of languages.
Tennis Top Players and their Language Skills: Questions Answered
In case you haven’t been paying attention, here is everything you need to know about your favorite tennis players’ language skills:
What languages does Stan Wawrinka speak?
Stan Wawrinka speaks five languages: French, German, English, Czech, and Italian.
What languages does Simona Halep speak?
Simona Halep speaks Romanian and English. She is improving her English, partly by reading Harry Potter books.
What languages does Rafael Nadal speak?
Rafael Nadal speaks Spanish, Mallorcan (a Catalan dialect), and some English.
How many languages can Andrey Rublev speak?
Andrey Rublev speaks Russian and English.
What languages does Pavel Kotov speak?
Pavel Kotov speaks Russian and English.