Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and commands respect wherever he goes.
As such, many modern-day stars of the sport flock to seek out whatever wisdom they can possibly gain from him, whether it is through practising together or just a chat.
Aryna Sabalenka was fortunate enough to gain both of those privileges just last year, as they met once again at Wimbledon.
This was not the first time they had crossed paths, but instead a continuation of a blossoming friendship.
Naturally, they both had nothing but nice things to say about one another.
What Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka said about each other last year
It’s ironic to think now, given Sabalenka recently played Nick Kyrgios in a Battle of the Sexes match, that she actually practised with arguably the greatest male player of all time earlier in 2025.
Speaking after their session together, the Belarusian admitted: “Novak is the best. First of all, I was able to hit with him, which not every guy would be able to do. Then you can chat with him. He will give his honest advice. It’s amazing to hear the opinion of such a legend.”
Djokovic was also asked for his thoughts on Sabalenka, but remained coy on sharing the advice he gave her: “We had a little chat after the training sessions. She asked me a couple of questions. I’m very happy to always share with anybody, as I was doing with a lot of the other male tennis players, mostly.
“Obviously, what we talk about stays between us. I hope it can serve them well, even if it’s just encouragement, even if it’s something they’ve heard before. But hearing it from me, maybe it sounds different; it impacts them differently.
“I’m honoured to be in a position where the number one in the world comes to me, approaches me, and asks me questions and for guidance. That’s a very privileged place to be in. I always try to be available.”
How Novak Djokovic helped Aryna Sabalenka win the 2025 US Open
2025 was a tumultuous year for Sabalenka, with her only major title coming at the final Grand Slam tournament.
In Australia, she lost in the final before repeating this feat against Coco Gauff at Roland Garros.
Then, despite remaining the favourite to win the Wimbledon title, she fell in the semi-finals, leaving the US Open as her last opportunity to secure the ultimate silverware in tennis.
And, after she stormed to that much-deserved success, she attributed her triumph to Djokovic: “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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