Three-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka recently discussed her experiences training alongside top male players, including Serb Novak Djokovic and Italian Jannik Sinner, as part of her preparations for Wimbledon 2025.
Speaking about her session with Djokovic, Sabalenka remarked, “Novak is the best. First, I had the opportunity to train with him, which is not something everyone gets. Beyond that, you can just talk; he offers truly sincere advice. It`s incredible to gain perspective from a legend like him. We touched on areas where I face difficulties. I am extremely grateful for his guidance. We spoke for approximately 30 minutes. Once you get Novak talking, he doesn`t stop. I would have loved to stay there for four hours and continue our discussion, but everyone has their own demanding schedules.”
She highlighted the physical challenge of hitting with them: “Training with guys like them brings a completely different level of intensity. Honestly, I trained with Jannik for about 10 minutes, and I was already exhausted. It`s just on another plane. After an hour with Novak, I`m still in recovery mode. I actually needed a full day off to recuperate. It was a truly valuable experience. When you observe players like Jannik or Novak up close, you learn directly from them; you absorb aspects of what they execute on the court. For me, that was incredibly beneficial.”
Sabalenka also commented briefly on her scheduled first-round opponent at Wimbledon 2025, the Canadian player Carson Branstine, currently ranked world No. 197 by the WTA.
Regarding Branstine, Sabalenka candidly stated, “I know she`s super beautiful. Just the other day, I was browsing social media and saw her interview after qualifying. I immediately thought, `Oh my God, this girl is so beautiful.` That`s genuinely all I know about her right now. I`ve entrusted the detailed preparation to my team, and naturally, they will review her previous matches. We will subsequently discuss tactics and all necessary aspects.”
