Winter Olympics 2026: What is Novak Djokovic doing in Italy?

Jannik Sinner chose to skip Winter Olympics opening ceremony due to his practise session in Doha.

If the word versatile was to be defined in a man, it could be none other than the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic who can speak 11 languages.

Netizens have been showering love on the tennis great once again as he was seen speaking fluent Italian during his trip to Milano-Cortina to attend the Winter Olympics 2026.

The 38-year-old, after finishing runner-up at the recently concluded Australian Open, is in Italy with his entire family, Jelena, Stefan, and Tara, and was spotted at the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games, currently taking place from February 6 to 22 across Lombardy and Northeast Italy.

His presence at the opening ceremony was especially meaningful for many Italian tennis fans, as their own star player Jannik Sinner skipped the event to focus on his preparations for the Qatar Open in Doha.

One of the fans commented on Dokovic’s viral video on social media, “Speaking fluent Italian and looking in great spirits.”

Also Read: Why will Jannik Sinner skip Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 opening ceremony?

What made the moment even more special was what Djokovic shared while speaking to a fan on camera. In Italian, he revealed that he still has big ambitions ahead.

“It’s far off, but I have a desire to play until the 2028 Olympics,” Djokovic said.

Over the years, Djokovic has built a strong legacy at the Olympic Games. He won bronze at Beijing 2008, reached the semi-finals in both singles and doubles at Tokyo 2020, and finally achieved his long-awaited Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

In that historic final at Roland Garros, he defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 to achieve what was missing from his collection.

Also Read: Australian Open 2026: Top five best moments

However, at present, the Serbian great is hunting for something that no one has yet—A record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title. He came very close at the Australian Open 2026 to achieve that, reaching his 38th Grand Slam final. However, he finished as runner-up after losing to world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic was defeated 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 on February 1, 2026, marking his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final after winning the tournament 10 times previously.

Also Read: When will Novak Djokovic play his next tournament after Australian Open 2026?

The Serbian is scheduled to return to action later this month at the Qatar Open in Doha starting on February 16. This would mark his second consecutive appearance since the tournament was upgraded to an ATP 500 event.

Last year, Djokovic’s campaign in Doha saw a shocking exit as he lost the first round match to Matteo Berrettini in straight sets (7-6, 6-2).

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