Aryna Sabalenka Shares How a Pep Talk With Novak Djokovic Helped Her Win the US Open
Aryna Sabalenka's last tournament will be the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Follow Us
Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Roland Garros, Danny)
🔍 Explore this post with:
Aryna Sabalenka has opened up about the advice Novak Djokovic gave her that helped her win the US Open in New York. The World No.1 claimed her fourth Grand Slam title there after beating Amanda Anisimova in straight sets. It was the third time this season that she reached a Grand Slam final.
Sabalenka won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024. She appeared destined to win it for the third consecutive time after reaching the final in January 2025, but the three-peat unexpectedly slipped away after she fell to Madison Keys in the final, which was her second Grand Slam final loss.
Four months later, Sabalenka reached the final of the French Open for the first time in her career. The World No.1 faced Coco Gauff in the championship match and was the favorite to win the title after having beaten Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals. But, shockingly, she failed to win the title after losing to Gauff in three sets.
At the Wimbledon Championships, she got to the semi-finals and was seeking to reach her first final at the tournament. However, she lost to Anisimova in the last four of the major tournament in London. After the loss, she met Djokovic, who advised her on what to do to regain her confidence on the court.
That helped her win the US Open for the second consecutive year a few weeks later. During an event in Hong Kong, Sabalenka revealed that she spoke to Djokovic for probably an hour after her Wimbledon loss. She added that she remembered the major advice of their discussion at the New York Grand Slam:
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… 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.
Sabalenka has been the best player in the women’s circuit this season having reached eight finals on tour. Nonetheless, she has managed to win four titles, including the US Open and two WTA 1000 crowns. The WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will be her final tournament for the 2025 season.
Aryna Sabalenka admits she loves to practice with Novak Djokovic
Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic have been friends on tour, despite competing in different circuits. In fact, during the French Open, they had a dance challenge after every match win. Recently, Djokovic and his wife Jelena Djokovic, and Sabalenka and boyfriend Georgios Frangulis had a dream double date in Athens.
Sabalenka was asked about the 38-year-old during the above press conference. The 27-year-old revealed that she loves practicing on the court with the Serb on the court as it helps her get better physically and mentally:
He’s a great guy and he’s very open. You can ask anything and he can give you advice. And he’s such an open guy and I love practising 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 practise with Novak.
Sabalenka’s last tournament was the Wuhan Open in China, where she was expected to win the title for the fourth consecutive year. But, she failed to do so losing to Jessica Pegula in three sets in the semi-finals. She will look to win the WTA Finals in Riyadh, a title she has never won in her career.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)