Aryna Sabalenka did what she often does best after another dominant night at the Australian Open. She confidently suggested she could once again rope Carlos Alcaraz into a shared birthday moment after being reminded of their May 5 connection during her on-court interview.
A Shared Birthday Sparks Aryna Sabalenka-Carlos Alcaraz TikTok Talk
During her on-court interview following her quarterfinal victory, the interviewer noted that both Sabalenka and Alcaraz are world No. 1 players, reigning US Open champions, unbeaten in sets deep into the tournament, and born on the same day, May 5. The suggestion was floated that they should exchange birthday gifts and make it a tradition, prompting laughter from Sabalenka.
Asked what she would give Alcaraz and what she might want in return, she replied with a grin, “I would offer him a TikTok dance probably and I would like to receive yes as an answer. I mean I don’t know what else. Last year I forced him to do it so I feel like I can do it again.” The line referenced their lighthearted TikTok together after winning their respective 2025 US Open titles.
How Did Sabalenka Deflect a Iga Świątek and Elena Rybakina Question While Sending a Message to Alcaraz?
The World No. 1 gracefully dodged rival comparisons before playfully targeting Alcaraz during a promo spot. When asked to choose the tougher opponent between Iga Świątek and Elena Rybakina, Sabalenka gave a diplomatic non-answer, then playfully issued a public challenge to the Spaniard.
“I cannot answer that,” she said. “I feel like every opponent is dangerous. Everyone has got some weapons and some weaknesses. I’ve been struggling against most of the players.”
The tone changed when an exhibition with Alcaraz came up, and Sabalenka smiled as she delivered a playful remark: “Carlos, I’m calling you for a match.”
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Sabalenka’s comments came amid a deep run in Melbourne, where she is making her ninth main-draw appearance and chasing further history at a tournament she has already mastered twice. She opened with a 6-4, 6-1 win over French wildcard Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, then brushed aside Chinese qualifier Zhuoxuan Bai 6-3, 6-1.
From there, Sabalenka survived a pair of tense tiebreak sets against Anastasia Potapova, winning 7-6(4), 7-6(7), before reasserting control against 17th seed Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6(1). The top seed booked her fourth semifinal appearance in Melbourne with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 29th seed Iva Jović. Next up is a clash with either third seed Coco Gauff or 12th seed Elina Svitolina.
