Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka are the friendship we never knew we needed, but wow, are we here for it! It all kicked off when the Serbian cheekily mimicked Sabalenka’s signature victory pose after his win over Cameron Norrie in the French Open’s fourth round. That little stunt snowballed into a full-blown dance-off series between the two stars, each bringing their A-game with every post-match move. And now? Their unexpected friendship has made its way to Wimbledon.
Aryna Sabalenka rolled into Wimbledon with solid momentum after a semifinal run at the Berlin Open, where she was stopped by eventual champ Marketa Vondroušová. Djokovic, on the other hand, skipped all warmup events and landed in London straight after his French Open semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner.
Now reunited at the All England Club, both stars are hard at work on the grass and having some serious fun along the way. Aryna Sabalenka was previously spotted training with Sinner, where the two spiced things up by aiming shots at bottles across the court. The World No.1 then joined forces with Djokovic to leave no stones unturned for the grass court major. But not everything was sunshine and volleys. Djokovic had one hilarious critique during the session. Her grunt! “That would be a hindrance on the ATP tour,” he quipped mid-rally. To which Sabalenka, dramatically betrayed, fired back, “I thought we were friends?”
Current scene at Wimbledon: Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic training together.
Djokovic was on good form while joking about Sabalenka’s grunt: “That would be a hindrance on the ATP tour.”
Sabalenka: “I thought we were friends?” pic.twitter.com/cSxzA3V4eK
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) June 25, 2025
The Belarusian doesn’t just hit the ball; she roars it across the net. Her signature grunts have become a soundtrack to her matches, often sparking debate among fans and fellow players alike. But has the World No. 1 ever addressed it herself? Oh yes! “Honestly, I don’t even hear myself when I am playing,” she once confessed, brushing off the noise. But others on tour? They’ve definitely noticed. Ons Jabeur couldn’t help but joke after facing her, saying, “She (Sabalenka) was screaming for both of us, I guess! I couldn’t even scream with her. It’s tough. It is true. I mean, that’s the thing about playing Aryna. She’s there. You know she’s there.” Coco Gauff chimed in too at one point, admitting that Sabalenka’s loud vocal presence was “a bit distracting.”
But while they poke fun at each other, Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have immense respect for each other.
When Aryna Sabalenka defended Novak Djokovic’s “greatness”
Novak Djokovic just doesn’t get the memo. You know, the one that says athletes are supposed to slow down with age? At 38, he’s still going full throttle. Fresh off claiming his 100th tour-level title in Geneva, the Serbian tennis star charged into the French Open semis without dropping a single set. Now, with Wimbledon on the horizon, he’s chasing two massive milestones: a record-extending 25th Grand Slam and a shot at tying Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon crowns.
Still, there’s always someone questioning whether he’s really still got it. However, Aryna Sabalenka wasn’t having any of that. The World No. 1 came to Djokovic’s defense in Paris, delivering a strong defense during a press conference when the topic of his longevity popped up. “You are trying to put as much pressure as you can on Novak. Leave him alone,” Sabalenka fired back. “Look at him. He’s fit, strong. Mentally, physically, I think he’s ready to play another two, three years. He’s doing really well.”
And she didn’t stop there.“Of course, [there are] ups and downs, everyone has [them]. I believe the older you get, the tougher it gets to stay consistent on the level. But we see whenever he’s ready, whenever he’s healthy and fit, he’s there, and he’s playing great tennis,” the Belarusian said.
Sabalenka knows a thing or two about battling expectations. She missed last year’s Wimbledon due to a nagging shoulder injury but is back with a vengeance after a solid showing in Paris. Djokovic, meanwhile, is hoping to finally turn the tables on Carlos Alcaraz after back-to-back final losses to the young Spaniard on Centre Court.
Now, with their French Open disappointments in the rearview, both Djokovic and Sabalenka are locked in for Wimbledon and ready to silence the noise once again. Do you think we can see a joint victory dance at Wimbledon?
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