“I heard she spoke 25 languages.” Nine years on, Garbine Muguruza’s barb, delivered after a frustrating defeat to Kristina Mladenovic in the Roland Garros round of 16 in 2017 – punctuated by Mladenovic’s guttural “forza” – still resonates. But beneath the Spaniard’s sarcasm lay a more tangible truth: the elite of tennis aren’t linguistic slouches.
English is the first language that comes to mind, the lingua franca of a globalized tour offering ample opportunities for improvement. Unlike footballers like Zinédine Zidane, Lionel Messi, or Karim Benzema, who faced less immediate pressure to become fluent, players like Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz were compelled to master the language.
“It’s not natural for Spaniards to speak English,” alleges Jil Teichmann, the Swiss player who reached a career-high of 21st in the world in 2022 and is fluent in six languages (German, Swiss German, French, Catalan, Castilian, and English). She spent formative years in Barcelona. “I recently heard Alcaraz speaking in English and thought he’d made a lot of progress. The tour helps a lot with press conferences, post-match interviews, and PR. And then, tennis is an individual sport. In the beginning, you don’t have a federation or a club organizing everything for you, booking your hotels, your plane tickets. That forces you to practice and fend for yourself.”
The French Federation’s Initiative
It’s a far cry from the days when Arnaud Clément feared his English speech more than Andre Agassi on the eve of the 2001 Australian Open final. Today, mastering English is as essential as hitting a topspin forehand. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) recognized this and developed the “Parler au quotidien dans le monde du tennis!” (Speak Daily in the World of Tennis!) program, a unique offering as neither the WTA nor the ATP currently provide an equivalent.
“This was a request from the technical teams who travel daily with the athletes,” explains the FFT’s communications department. “On the Junior, ITF, WTA, and ATP circuits, having a working vocabulary in English is necessary, and this module, specifically created for players on the path to the top level (mandatory for those under 18 registered on the ministerial lists), helps them improve their English speaking skills and in situations they regularly encounter (in training, in matches, with the physiotherapist, with journalists…).”
Tennis, the quintessential global sport and cultural melting pot, constantly crossing time zones, doesn’t speak only English. “We’re lucky to travel around the world and discover fresh cultures each week,” enthuses Lulu Sun, a New Zealander ranked 100th in the world and fluent in French, English, Chinese, Spanish, and with a working knowledge of Japanese and Korean. “It’s a bit like the military – the more you travel, the easier it is to learn languages. And unlike other sports, our seasons are similar year after year, which allows us to return to the same places to practice the language of the country. Tennis is also a very international sport, with participants from all over the world.”
English, Chinese, and Romanian for Emma Raducanu
Many players owe their multilingualism to their diverse backgrounds (Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, India, North African countries, etc.) or family histories. Emma Raducanu speaks English, Chinese, and Romanian; Kristina Mladenovic is fluent in French, Serbian, English, Spanish, and Italian; Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas speak Russian. Others have honed their linguistic skills by studying at foreign academies. Daria Kasatkina, Karen Khachanov, and Andrey Rublev, among others, speak (or at least get by in) Spanish after training in Barcelona. Daniil Medvedev, who spent time honing his skills in Cannes, is a prime example, adding French to his repertoire. Medvedev has spoken about the influence of France on his perform ethic.
Then Notice the language enthusiasts. Those who don’t miss a long trip or a time-out to replenish their vocabulary. “I often listen to YouTube videos in foreign languages when I’m cooking at home, doing my hair, or packing my bag for training,” confessed Russian player Anna Blinkova, who speaks seven languages (Russian, French, English, Slovak, Spanish, Chinese, and Italian). After a stint in Trnava (Slovakia), Blinkova has been training at the Élite Tennis Center in Cannes for several years.
In addition to her grammar books and thematic channels, this lover of language doesn’t miss an opportunity to converse. “I ask questions, I bother everyone (laughs). I speak Mandarin with my friends Yue Yuan (120th in the world) and especially Xinyu Jiang (32nd in doubles). We write to each other on WeChat, she in Chinese, me in English. And then there are my friends, Elisabetta Cocciaretto (42nd) and Lucia Bronzetti (141st). I always try to speak to them in Italian, and they help me improve.”
This passion for languages has earned her a good reputation on the circuit, “players have already come to me for advice” and in the hearts of spectators. After her victory at the Jianxi Open (WTA250) in 2025, her post-match speech in Mandarin did not leave anyone indifferent. “I received a lot of messages in China. I created profiles on RedNote and Weibo. I have 80,000 followers on the latter network!” she rejoiced, having previously pulled off the same feat on the Central Court at Roland Garros, in French this time, after her two victories (in 2019 and 2023) against Caroline Garcia. “During the match, it was hard to have the whole stadium against me. But during the on-court interviews in French, I always managed to win over some supporters (laughs).”
Djokovic, Soon in Greek and Russian
This benefit is also shared by another language GOAT. While Roger Federer masters five languages (English, French, Italian, German, and Swiss German) and Serena Williams knows a few phrases in “Franglais,” Novak Djokovic can muddle through in around ten languages. “I don’t speak them all fluently, but I can communicate and get by in the country,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion explained in perfect English during the 2025 US Open. “In Serbia, we say that ‘the number of languages spoken is a measure of a person’s worth.’ People respect you more if you try to communicate in their language (…). I want to learn more. I intend to start learning Greek (he has moved to Athens), Russian, and maybe improve my Spanish.”
This represents also a way to add nuance to a daily life steeped in tennis. “It helps me live better on the tour, not to always think about the results,” confesses Anna Blinkova. “Because if you only think about tennis, you can quickly burn out, become depressed. It’s happened to me – I used to spend my time crying. Learning, discussing in other languages gave me a much-needed breather.” Sometimes, at the risk of being completely lost in translation – “on the court, I say ‘come on, Anna, come on,’ ‘legs, legs,’ or ‘cut the trajectory’ instead of the classic ‘come on’” – or simply exhausted. “As a junior, I alternated between Spanish, English, and Swiss German. At the end of the day, my head hurt,” says Jil Teichmann, currently ranked 179th in the world, with a smile. A small price to pay for minds that are tired, but well-equipped.
