Novak Djokovic gatecrashed Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon press conference before discussing his own chances and future at SW19.
US Open champion Sabalenka was answering the final question of her pre-tournament press conference when Djokovic entered before it was his turn to face the press.
Djokovic, a seven-time champion here at Wimbledon, was told Sabalenka was answering her final question but cheekily informed the press officer that he was going to interrupt his friend’s conference.
‘Come on, let’s go, please,’ he said with a grin as a surprised Sabalenka noticed Djokovic enter. ‘I’ve been waiting outside.’
Sabalenka smiled and said goodbye to the media in attendance but then assumed the role of the moderator and asked Djokovic about their recent hit at Wimbledon.
The pair were filmed during a practice session at SW19 earlier in the week as Sabalenka looks to win her first Wimbledon and Djokovic goes for an eighth title.
‘First of all, let me ask a question,’ Sabalenka said as Djokovic sat down. ‘What do you think about hitting with me? How do you see my level? Am I good?’
Djokovic responded sarcastically: ‘I think you have the potential. You’re, like, really talented player. You have nice strokes, good technique.
‘Can I be honest? You’re lacking intensity on the court. You don’t have enough intensity.
‘It’s too flat. You’ve got to lighten up a little bit, put some power in it.’
Sabalenka, holding in laughter, then said: ‘Really?! That’s what you are going to say right now?
‘Before this guy was my favourite player, but not anymore obviously!’
Djokovic is hoping to win not only his eighth Wimbledon title but his 25th Grand Slam – the most in history.
At 38, the Serbian legend is running out of time to reach that milestone and faces as much competition as ever given the rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world.
‘It’s great to be back,’ he said. ‘I love Wimbledon. I’ve always loved it.
‘I think in the last six editions, I had six finals. I’ve been playing very well here, maybe it’s been the most consistent Grand Slam for me in the last 10 years.
‘When I come here, I feel extra inspired to deliver the best tennis. We all know the tradition and the heritage and the culture of this wonderful tournament that has sustained that for so many years.
‘It’s so impressive every single time you walk into this premises. You feel that beautiful tradition.’
Djokovic knows he is far closer to the end of his career than the start and admits he does not know whether this will be his last Wimbledon.
‘Whether it could be my ‘last dance’, I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘My wish is to play for several more years.
‘I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. That’s the goal, but you never know at this stage.
‘I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon.’
Asked to rate his chances of winning Wimbledon once again, Djokovic said: ‘Let’s see. I like the way I feel right now physically.
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff ‘all good’
‘Tennis-wise I’ve been playing good on the practice sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament. But yeah, I’ll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can.’
Meanwhile, Sabalenka insists her relationship with Coco Gauff is ‘all good’ despite downplaying her efforts in the French Open final earlier this month.
The 27-year-old said it ‘hurt to show such terrible tennis’ in what she described as ‘the worst final I ever played’ after losing in three sets to Gauff.
‘I think she won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes,’ she said.
But the pair looked in good spirits as they made a TikTok video on Centre Court earlier this week.
‘We’ve always been really good with Coco,’ Sabalenka said. ‘Honestly, I didn’t really want to offend her.
‘I was just completely, like, upset with myself, and emotions got over me. I just completely lost it.
‘I didn’t want to offend. Of course, she got my respect. She knew it. She knows it. We are good, we are friends.’
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