Novak Djokovic Gives a Four-Word Reaction to Aryna Sabalenka Breaking his Tiebreak Record at the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic is into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open following Jakub Mensik's withdrawal.

Novak Djokovic Gives a Four-Word Reaction to Aryna Sabalenka Breaking his Tiebreak Record at the Australian Open

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

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Aryna Sabalenka continued her flawless start in the 2026 season at the Australian Open after cementing her place in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The World No.1 defeated Victoria Mboko in straight sets, winning a second-set tiebreak for the 20th time in her career, which forced Novak Djokovic to react.

Sabalenka is the top seed at the Australian Open and she’s yet to drop a set. The Belarusian star earned straightforward wins over Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, Zhuoxuan Bai, Anastasia Potapova, and Mboko. The 27-year-old has used a more unpredictable approach to her game at the tournament.

Before arriving in Melbourne, she had already won the Brisbane International, where she didn’t drop a set en route to the title. She defeated Marta Kostyuk in the final to win the title for the second consecutive season. Back in Melbourne, she faced Mboko, who was high-flying at the tournament, reaching the fourth round for the first time in her career.

Sabalenka started their clash impressively, dropping just one game in the first set. But Mboko upped the level of her game in the second set, pushing Sabalenka deep into her baseline, but Sabalenka showed strength and precision in her shots, as she made sure not to give the Canadian star any free points.

However, the second set went into a tie break, with Sabalenka just dropping a single point against Mboko to seal the victory 6-1, 7-6(1). That was Sabalenka’s 20th consecutive tiebreak win. The sole possessor of the record before was Djokovic with 19 tiebreak wins, but after Sabalenka triumphed against Mboko, she moved past the Serbian legend.

Sabalenka’s achievement was posted on social media, which Djokovic reacted on X with four words and a tiger emoji:

I’m upset right now!

Sabalenka and Djokovic share a good relationship off the court and they are into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Sabalenka revealed during the 2025 US Open that Djokovic gave her some pieces of advice, which helped her win the Grand Slam title after failing to win in back-to-back major tournament finals.

Besides that, Sabalenka is seeking to win her fifth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and third in Melbourne, while Djokovic is pushing for his 25th Grand Slam at the tournament and 11th at the Australian Open. He’s likely to face Jannik Sinner in the last four of the first Grand Slam of the year.

Novak Djokovic through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after Jakub Mensik’s withdrawal

Novak Djokovic’s hopes of winning his 25th Grand Slam have been boosted after his round of 16 opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew from their clash on Monday (January 26) at the Rod Laver Arena. With Mensik’s withdrawal, Djokovic is now in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after Carlos Alcaraz booked his place earlier.

Novak Djokovic, Jakub Mensik (3)
Novak Djokovic, Jakub Mensik (Image via X/Univers Tennis)

The news of Mensik’s withdrawal comes after former champion Naomi Osaka pulled out of her third-round match against Maddison Inglis due to an injury. Mensik made his withdrawal public via an Instagram message, stressing that it was a tough decision not play against Djokovic as he would have loved to do so:

After long discussions with my team and doctors, we decided not to step on the court tomorrow [Monday]. Even though I’m disappointed, making the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time. I felt so much energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne is truly special. Should the remainder of the draw go with seedings, 38-year-old Serb Djokovic could then come up against Sinner in the semi-finals and world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Djokovic vs. Mensik clash would have been a rematch of the 2025 Miami Open final, which the former won in straight sets. Djokovic has not gone beyond the semi-finals of the Australian Open in recent years and will face the winner between Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz on Tuesday (January 27).

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka Calls Out Novak Djokovic for Not Asking Her to Play Mixed Doubles: “Still Waiting for Message That I’m His Dream Partner”