Novak Djokovic Shows No Mercy to Aryna Sabalenka as He Pokes Fun at Her Over ‘Pose’

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have not yet tasted success in Grand Slam tournaments this season.

Novak Djokovic Shows No Mercy to Aryna Sabalenka as He Pokes Fun at Her Over ‘Pose’

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

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Novak Djokovic is also a fierce competitor when it comes to striking poses. He told Aryna Sabalenka to study his pictures for GQ and learn how to pose.

Sabalenka and Djokovic have been challenging each other in fun activities since the French Open. And even when they are oceans apart (they are enjoying some much-needed time off the court), social media gave Djokovic an opportunity to poke fun at the Belarusian ace.

Throwback to my @gq shoot. This is how you strike a pose, @arynasabalenka.

Novak Djokovic wrote on Instagram

Check out his post here:

At the French Open, Djokovic mocked Sabalenka by imitating her dance, and this started their dance challenge. Sabalenka responded by dancing to her ‘Tiger‘ song (by djKDS), teasing the Serb for not having a song dedicated to him. But Sabalenka perhaps had no idea about Wodan Boys’s ‘Slam it like Djokovic‘. He danced to the song after his quarterfinal win over Alexander Zverev.

But that was the end of this challenge. Djokovic went on to lose the semifinal against eventual runner-up Jannik Sinner, while Sabalenka, who reached the final, was denied her career’s first French Open title by Coco Gauff.

At Wimbledon, both players were eliminated in the semifinals. Djokovic’s Grand Slam campaign was once again ended by eventual champion Sinner in straight sets, while Sabalenka suffered a three-set defeat to eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova.

They are yet to play a tournament on the North American hard-court swing. Both Sabalenka and Djokovic were scheduled to play the Canadian Open, but they decided to skip it. While Sabalenka is expected to participate in the Cincinnati Masters, Nole’s participation is uncertain.

Sabalenka clinched the Cincinnati title by beating Jessica Pegula last year. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who last won this title in 2023 by beating five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, skipped the tournament last year.

Sabalenka, in Cincinnati, will be chasing her fourth title of the season. She has so far played seven finals and lifted titles in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid. The World No.1 last lifted a Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, and this year, she has played two Major finals: at the Australian Open and at the French Open, losing both to Madison Keys and Coco Gauff, respectively.

Mansour Bahrami says Wimbledon was the last chance for Novak Djokovic to win a Grand Slam title

Novak Djokovic, for the first time since 2017, failed to reach the final at Wimbledon. He last lifted the title in 2022 by beating Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, while in 2023 and 2024, Carlos Alcaraz denied him the win in the final.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/TNT Sports)

Because of his past results, many think the grass-court Major was the last chance for the 38-year-old to win his 25th Grand Slam title. Former player Mansour Bahrami is also of the same opinion. He said on the Roland Garros Courtside Conversations podcast:

I know it’s going to get harder and harder. For me, it was…Wimbledon was maybe the last one, so it would be incredible, and he’s accomplished so many incredible things that we’re all amazed by his achievements. He’s a great champion, he’s won everything, so is he capable, at almost 39, of winning the Australian Open? I would say if there is one, it would be the Australian Open. But it’s going to be very, very difficult.

Djokovic, so far in the season, has lifted just the Geneva Open by beating Hubert Hurkacz. Apart from the Swiss event, he also reached the Miami Open final but couldn’t beat Jakub Mensik. In the first three Majors this season, his campaigns ended in the semifinals. The Belgrade native last lifted a Major at the 2023 US Open.

Also read: Andrey Rublev Reveals Timeline for Marat Safin After His Suspicious Absence from his Camp at Montreal