"He’s such an open guy and I love practicing with him" - Aryna Sabalenka delves into her relationship with Novak Djokovic

Friday, 17 October 2025 at 04:30

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka take to the court in an exhibition match

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has had an exceptional 2025 season on and off the court, and she credits some of her success to her budding friendship with 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic.

The big-hitting Belarusian reached at least the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events in 2025. Sabalenka was unable to defend her title at the Australian Open, falling to Madison Keys. However, she would rebound quickly, reaching the final at Indian Wells before winning the title at the Miami Open.

After losing to Coco Gauff in a thrilling French Open final, Sabalenka would fall to American Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Nonetheless, the World No.1 would avenge her SW19 loss at the US Open, defeating Anisimova to finally win a Grand Slam title in 2025.

Despite losing for the first time at last week's Wuhan Open, where she was the three-time defending champion, Sabalenka remains in good spirits as the WTA season comes to a close. The 27-year old enters the WTA Finals as the favorite, although Gauff captured the title at last year's edition of the event.

Sabalenka praises Djokovic's mentality and work ethic

The Belarusian has developed a well-documented friendship with tennis star Novak Djokovic, with the Serbian often appearing on her YouTube channel or TikTok videos. Sabalenka opened up on her relationship with the former World No.1, stating how much she valued his advice.

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Furthermore, she revealed she often practices with the ATP star, and credited their hitting sessions for helping improve her fitness.

"He’s a great guy and he’s very open," said Sabalenka. "You can ask anything and he can give you advice. And he’s such an open guy and I love practicing with him because for me it’s such high-intensity training.
"It just helps me physically and even mentally to get better. And then when I play against girls, I’m not getting tired physically because I practice with Novak.

"At Wimbledon I spoke to Novak. I just wanted to know how he was preparing himself for those big matches, what was the focus and what was his mindset going into the match.
“So we talked for an hour probably, but with Novak you always can spend more than that talking and asking for advice. And then later on, going to the US Open final, I remembered what he said, what he told me, and I think it helped me to get the title."

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Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.

With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.

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