Aryna Sabalenka opens up about her relationship with Novak Djokovic on and off the court

“You can ask anything and he can give you advice. And he’s such an open guy and I love practising with him because for me it’s such high-intensity training.

“It just helps me physically and even mentally to get better. And then when I play against girls, I’m not getting tired physically because I practise with Novak.”

What Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic discussed during Wimbledon and US Open

Sabalenka and Djokovic have had multiple interactions throughout the year, including their first joint training session at Wimbledon.

Djokovic spoke positively about Sabalenka after that practice, and the two have also spent time together off the court with their partners.

Reflecting on those discussions, Sabalenka said: “At Wimbledon I spoke to Novak. I just wanted to know how he was preparing himself for those big matches, what was the focus and what was his mindset going into the match.”

“So we talked for an hour probably, but with Novak you always can spend more than that talking and asking for advice.”

She added: “And then later on, going to the US Open final, I remembered what he said, what he told me, and I think it helped me to get the title.”

The relationship hasn’t been all business. During one light-hearted moment at Wimbledon, Djokovic playfully interrupted one of Sabalenka’s interviews.

Still, when it’s time to compete both players are able to lock in. Between them they hold 28 Grand Slam titles. Most of those belong to Djokovic, who has won a remarkable 24 majors during his career.