Aryna Sabalenka recently reflected on her practice session in Greece with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Their camaraderie, often marked by playful banter, has long amused tennis fans, and Sabalenka added to it by recounting her version of what unfolded during that session and what led to the Serb’s scream.
What Did Aryna Sabalenka Reveal About Her Greek Practice With Novak Djokovic?
Sabalenka and Djokovic, two of the tour’s fiercest competitors, are displaying their trademark intensity in their respective campaigns in Wuhan and Shanghai. The Belarusian is the defending champion at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, and received a direct entry into the second round as a top seed.
Sabalenka opened her campaign with a hard-fought three-set win over Rebecca Šramková and now faces 16th seed Liudmila Samsonova. Djokovic, meanwhile, is chasing his fifth Shanghai title and has advanced to the quarterfinals with wins over Marin Čilić, Yannick Hanfmann, and Jaume Munar.
Aryna Sabalenka completes the comeback to extend her perfect record in China by defeating Rebecca Sramkova (4-6, 6-3, 6-1) 🔥
She is now 18-0 at the Wuhan Open in her career 🤩 pic.twitter.com/6LUnvCnoKp
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) October 8, 2025
Notably, these tournaments mark the end of a long break for both players since the 2025 US Open. However, even while away from competition, Djokovic and Sabalenka kept their rhythm sharp, with the latter joining the Serb for a practice session during her recent vacation in Greece.
Following her first-round win, Sabalenka recounted her practice session with the 24-time Grand Slam champion, revealing his fierce competitiveness and occasional screams. The four-time Major champion matched the same energy when Djokovic won points, and proudly noted that she won plenty herself.
“Well, he was really competitive, and he was screaming. I did ‘Come on!’ when he was winning points against me, but I won a lot of points against him for the record. I hope he’s gonna confirm that,” Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference.
As noted, Sabalenka was away from the tour since the US Open due to a minor injury that forced her to skip the China Open. She, however, turned her break into a rejuvenating escape, enjoying a tranquil getaway in Greece with boyfriend Georgios Frangulis.
Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, later joined Sabalenka and her boyfriend, with social media posts highlighting lively moments the couple enjoyed. Amid ongoing political tensions in Serbia, Djokovic has made Athens his permanent home, residing in Glyfada with his wife Jelena and their children, Stefan and Tara.
