Novak Djokovic Convinced Aryna Sabalenka ‘Would Be A Hindrance’ on ATP Tour

Aryna Sabalenka will be bidding to win her fourth title of the season at Wimbledon, where she has never reached the final.

Novak Djokovic Convinced Aryna Sabalenka ‘Would Be A Hindrance’ on ATP Tour

Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Francesca)

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka practiced together ahead of Wimbledon, which starts on June 30. The Serb will be chasing his eighth title in the tournament, while Sabalenka will be aiming to win her first. She has never emerged victorious in a grass-court event. Before arriving in London, she kick-started her campaign on the grass swing at the Berlin Open but lost in the semifinal to Marketa Vondrousova.

Djokovic didn’t participate in any warm-up events. He was last seen in action at the French Open where he reached the semifinal only to lose to three-time Grand Slam champion and eventual runner-up Jannik Sinner.

During his practice session with Sabalenka, he joked that her grunts would be troubling players on the ATP Tour. “That would be a hindrance on the ATP Tour,” said Djokovic, and Sabalenka, in response, said: “I thought we were friends?“

Djokovic last lifted the Wimbledon title in 2022 by beating Australia’s Nick Kyrgios. Since 2018, he reached every Wimbledon final, losing in the last two seasons to five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic has won only one title this season: the Geneva Open, by beating Hubert Hurkacz. He also reached the Miami Open final but couldn’t cross the final hurdle in the form of Jakub Mensik. The Serb last lifted a Major at the 2023 US Open and since then, only Alcaraz and Sinner tasted success in these tournaments. If he wins the grass-court Major, he will tie the tally with Roger Federer who retired with eight Wimbledon trophies, the last of which he captured in 2017.

Marion Bartoli lauds Aryna Sabalenka for apologizing to Coco Gauff after their French Open controversy

Aryna Sabalenka has now lost the two Grand Slam events of this season after reaching the finals. At the Australian Open, Madison Keys denied her the three-peat.

Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff
Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Then at the French Open, it was Coco Gauff who secured a three-set win to capture the French Open singles title for the first time in her career. Sabalenka couldn’t control her emotions and ended up saying things she regretted later.

She said she played terrible tennis and couldn’t handle the windy conditions better. En route to the final, she ended four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek‘s 26-match winning streak in the event in the semifinals.

At the press conference after her defeat, Sabalenka claimed that had Swiatek played Gauff in the final instead of her, she would have defeated the American. This comment sparked controversy and several former pros criticized her, claiming Sabalenka did not give the credit to Gauff for her win.

Sabalenka issued a clarification on Instagram and later, she revealed that she texted Gauff to apologize for being “completely unprofessional”. Gauff appreciated the text and former player Marion Bartoli too lauded Sabalenka for her action. She told BBC’s The Ultimate Wimbledon Preview podcast:

I’m not going to be the one to blame her. We’ve all been in a situation where you lose a match, feel sad, and say things you regret. I think it was good of her to send an apology. I think Coco probably read that apology and appreciated it. I’ve been interviewing Aryna for four or five years, and she’s always had a great personality. She’s always smiling. She always has a great sense of humor.

Sabalenka will be projected to meet Gauff in the final at Wimbledon as well, given that they will be the first and second seeds, respectively. Like Sabalenka, Gauff too hasn’t yet won a grass-court title. At Wimbledon, the 21-year-old has never progressed beyond the fourth round. Last year, she lost in the last 16 to compatriot Emma Navarro.

Also read: Roger Federer Reveals the Three Most Memorable Matches of his Illustrious Career