Fascinated by the nicknames Chinese fans have granted some of the top ATP players: - Tsitsipas is 'Princess Sissi' (long blond hair) - Alcaraz is 'Duck' (for Psyduck in Pokémon) - Medvedev is 'Long-Arm Monkey' (gibbon) while Rublev is 'Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey' - Sinner is 'Milk…
"Princess Sissi", "Milk Roll Cake", and "Chicken": Here are some of the nicknames that Chinese fans have for top ATP players
ATPSunday, 01 October 2023 at 20:25
Several Top 10 players are competing at the ATP China Open this week, with the appearance of Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas reviving interest in the nicknames given to top players by Chinese fans.
The ATP Tour returned to China this season for the first time in four years, with COVID-19 restrictions making it difficult to compete in the country in recent times combined with the Peng Shuai controversy.
However, the field at this week's ATP 500 tournament in Beijing is packed with top-level talent, including eight Top 10 players - most of whom have fascinating nicknames in the country, usually (but not always) relating to something specific about the player.
Meaning behind players' nicknames, from "Duck" to "Princess Sissi"
Two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz is called "Duck" after the Pokemon character Psyduck. The character is known for its psychic powers and arms with three claws.
Meanwhile, World No. 5 Tsitsipas is nicknamed "Princess Sissi" due to his long blond hair, while Jannik Sinner is called "Milk roll cake" after a famous Taiwanese cake brand named Yannick.
The two Russians in the Top 10, Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, are both given variations on "Monkey", with the former bearing the nickname "Long-Arm Monkey" while the latter holds the longer title of "Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey." Medvedev is also known as "Prime Minister" in the country.
Ruud, Rune, and Djokovic also given nicknames
Ruud arguably has the most layered nickname, being known as "Headmaster's Good Student" due to the fact that he trains at 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal's tennis academy. In contrast to this, one of the more unusual ones goes to Holger Rune, whose nickname "Nene" unrelatedly means underwear in Chinese.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who is not competing in Beijing, has the nickname of "Chicken", leading his rivalry with Alcaraz to sometimes be called "Chicken and Duck."
Another interesting nickname was given to the now-retired Roger Federer, who was named "Cow" after being gifted a cow in Gstaad after winning his first Wimbledon title in 2003. This led his fans to be called "Milk Powder".
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