Aryna Sabalenka recently shared her thoughts on Novak Djokovic’s form and longevity in tennis, as both stars continue their campaigns at the 2025 French Open.
Sabalenka is chasing her fourth Grand Slam singles title, while Djokovic is vying for his 25th.
Aryna Sabalenka Responds After Being Asked About Novak Djokovic’s Form
Djokovic, the No. 6 seed at this year’s French Open, advanced to the third round with straight-set wins over Mackenzie McDonald (6-3, 6-3, 6-3) and Corentin Moutet (6-3, 6-2, 7-6 [1]).
On the women’s side, top-seeded Sabalenka has dominated her draw, beating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-0 in the first round, Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-1 in the second, and Olga Danilović 6-2, 6-3 in the third to book her place in the fourth round.
Following her win over Danilović, Sabalenka was asked in her post-match press conference to weigh in on Djokovic’s recent form. Although the Serbian star won the Geneva Open heading into Roland Garros, he had previously suffered several early exits in 2024.
“Look at him, he’s fit, he’s strong, he’s mentally and physically ready to play another two to three years. He’s doing really well. Of course, there are ups and downs—everyone has it. And I believe the older you get, the tougher it gets to stay consistent,” Sabalenka said.
She pushed back on retirement speculation, emphasizing that Djokovic remains healthy and fully capable of competing at the highest level.
“But we see whenever he’s ready, whenever he’s healthy and fit, he’s there and he’s playing great tennis. So just leave him alone. Let him just be,” she continued. “Imagine if he is going to retire tomorrow—then everyone is going to be sad. Of course, there is another 10 to 15 years for Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] to become one of the greatest.”
Sabalenka also reflected on the farewell ceremony held for Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, which was attended by Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray. She admitted the moment hit hard, as three of the “Big Four” are now officially retired or semi-retired.
“Let him be. It was so sad to see the ceremony. The Big Four were on the court and three of them retired—and everyone is missing their games,” she said. “So at least Novak is there to fight and to show that he is the greatest and to inspire the next generation.”
Who Will Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka Face Next at the French Open?
After defeating Moutet in the second round, Djokovic is set to face Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic in the third round. This will be the first meeting between the two on the ATP Tour. The winner will advance to the fourth round to face either Cameron Norrie or Jacob Fearnley.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka will face 16th seed Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round after her third-round victory over Danilović. Sabalenka and Anisimova have played seven times on the WTA Tour, with Anisimova leading the head-to-head 5-2. Their most recent match came in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Canadian Open, where Anisimova won 6-4, 6-2.
The winner of the Sabalenka-Anisimova matchup will move on to the quarterfinals to face either No. 8 seed Zheng Qinwen or No. 19 seed Liudmila Samsonova.
