Aryna Sabalenka shared a lovely private moment with Novak Djokovic shortly after launching into a rant about the media’s coverage of the tennis icon. The WTA world No. 1 and French Open favourite urged journalists to stop piling pressure on Djokovic.
Hours later, Sabalenka posted a cute video of the Serb embracing her. In the Instagram story, the Belarusian approaches Djokovic and they share a hug. She then reaches for her phone to show him a photo. The story appears to suggest that she was showing the 38-year-old an old photo of him alongside her goddaughter. In the photo, which Sabalenka also shared, the child looks miserable as she poses with Djokovic.
In the caption, Sabalenka jokingly wrote: “I was just curious what he did to my goddaughter lol.”
It came after the 27-year-old made a staunch defence of Djokovic in a press conference after she beat Olga Danilovic at the French Open. She believes the 24-time Grand Slam champion can continue to play for at least two more years, despite his recent inconsistent form and the rise of several younger stars.
Asked about Djokovic, Sabalenka insisted: “You guys are trying to put as much pressure as you can on Novak. Leave him alone! Look at him. He’s fit. He’s strong. Mentally and physically, I think he’s ready to play another two or three years. I don’t know.
“He’s doing really well. Of course, everyone has ups and downs. The older you get, the tougher it gets to stay consistent on the level. But we see whenever he’s ready, whenever he’s healthy and fit, he’s there. He’s playing great tennis. Just leave him alone. Let him just be.
“Imagine if he retired tomorrow, everyone is gonna be sad. Don’t you think so? Of course there’s another 10, 15 years for Jannik [Sinner] and [Carlos] Alcaraz to become one of the greatest. But just let him be.
“It was so sad to see the ceremony. [The] Big Four were on the court. You understand that three of them retired. Everyone is missing their game. Just leave Novak to be there, to fight, and to show his greatness and to inspire the next generation.”
Sabalenka faces Amanda Anisimovic in the fourth round tomorrow, while Djokovic battles Filip Misolic in the third round tonight.
