World primary tennis participant Novak Djokovic has chosen an uncommon method to heat up forward of the Japan Open Tennis Championship, taking up retired sumo professionals who taught him a couple of wrestling strikes.
The 32-year-old, who is about to compete in Tokyo this week, took benefit of his non permanent keep in Japan by making an attempt the extremely ceremonial sport.
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The a number of Grand Slam winner attended Ryogoku Edo-Noren, a restaurant facility with a dohyō, a sumo wrestling ring the place the Serb tussled with sumo professionals.
In a video printed by the Affiliation of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Djokovic is seen making an attempt a couple of sumo strikes and methods simply at some point earlier than his first-round conflict with Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin.
“It’s an excellent expertise. I’ve by no means had this expertise earlier than,” Djokovic mentioned.
Simply too good ?
Effectively performed, @DjokerNole ? #NovakGoesSumo ? ?? pic.twitter.com/FE75NjoQl7
— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) September 30, 2019
“It’s one of the vital well-liked sports activities in Japan. Talking with my father yesterday on the cellphone I used to be telling him that I’m going to have a chance to fulfill sumo wrestlers.”
Djokovic tried to push a sumo wrestler out of the ring, however didn’t have sufficient energy to maneuver him even barely.
Prepared? Play. ? @DjokerNole | @rakutenopen pic.twitter.com/Rxe0daarnA
— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) September 30, 2019
“I felt that I’m out of form [for sumo] a bit bit. I believe with a couple of extra kilos, I’ll be able to compete,” the 16-time Grand Slam winner joked.“Most likely 3 times as a lot as I’ve proper now could be the best measurement for me to compete,” he concluded.