"I received evil looks" - Novak Djokovic gets honest about why he was forced to stop 'impersonating' other ATP & WTA players

One of Novak Djokovic's most distinguishing factors is his unique sense of humor, which he never shies away from showing off both on and off the court. The Serb's hilarious impressions of tennis stars, like Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal, caught a lot of attention as his portrayals were quite precise.

However, Djokovic reflected upon how this talent of his wasn't quite well-received by some of his colleagues. He revealed that his knack for impersonations came from his 'tennis mother', Jelena Gencic, who helped him fall in love with the sport.

In an interview with Jay Shetty on his podcast, the 24-time Grand Slam champion looked back on how he and Gencic would watch clips of star players, which he would imitate later. However, he stepped back when he felt like he was pushing past limits.

"We would look at the tapes of all the greats both male and female tennis players. That's where my impersonation started. People still to this day ask me, when are you going to do the imitations, impersonations? I've done it early in my career and it was fun. It was viral and people liked it. And then I received a little bit of an evil looks in the locker room and I kind of felt like, maybe I'm stepping over the line. That's why I stopped," he said.

However, Novak Djokovic has also been on the receiving end of impersonations, most famously by British comedian, Josh Berry.

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Novak Djokovic's son used Rafael Nadal's impression to tease him

Novak Djokovic revealed that his son, Stefan, likes to imitate Rafael Nadal to 'intimidate' him. Young Stefan, who certainly possesses his father's sense of humor, is also a big fan of the 22-time Grand Slam champion who happens to be one of his father's greatest rivals.

Djokovic shared that his son does it often when they are practicing together, but he takes it lightly. In an interview with TNT Sports during Wimbledon this year, the Serb said:

"He likes to do it...he likes to intimidate me by ending the swing like that. He knows I don't like it. When he does that, he always laughs because he knows it. I try to take every opportunity to play with him. He discovered tennis for himself. It's all about how he plays best."

Djokovic also hopes that his son continues to keep his interest in the sport alive and would want him to pursue a career in tennis.