"24 Grand Slams in one pic" - Aryna Sabalenka jokes after crossing paths with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon practice
World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka recently met Novak Djokovic and made a joke afterwards about the pair of them collectively holding 24 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic is all geared up to play at the 2023 edition of the grass-court Major, where he will aim to win his record eighth title. He will also strive to secure his 24th Grand Slam title, which would be another remarkable achievement in his tennis career.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka is looking forward to winning her first Major title on grass and her second Grand Slam title overall after winning her first at the 2023 Australian Open.
The two met during a practice session prior to the start of Wimbledon and had a good time together. The Belarusian tennis star then took to Instagram to share a picture of them, stating that there are 24 Grand Slam titles in the photo and jokingly asking fans to guess how many of them are hers.
"24 GS in one pic. Guess how many of them is mine?" Aryna Sabalenka wrote.
"Just can't wait to come back and show my best tennis" - Aryna Sabalenka ahead of Wimbledon
Aryna Sabalenka was expected to make the final at Roland-Garros. That did not happen because of her semifinal loss to Karolina Muchova 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5, but she had some good news to share.
Sabalenka stated in a press conference afterwards that her UK visa had been approved, allowing her to take part in the grass-court Major this year after not being eligible to play in 2022 due to her Belarusian nationality.
"Yes, now I have visa. Woohoo. I can celebrate (smiling). I'm coming to Wimbledon, which is great news," she said.
Sabalenka then expressed her excitement about returning to SW19 as she loves competing there and the atmosphere. She added that she can't wait to make a fantastic comeback.
"I'm super excited. I really like to play there. I really enjoy the atmosphere. I really missed last year Wimbledon, and yeah, just can't wait to come back and show my best tennis," Aryna Sabalenka said.
Aryna Sabalenka has a chance to become the new World No. 1 after the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, but overthrowing Iga Swiatek, who currently holds the throne, will be no easy task.
The 26-year-old had a good chance to finish at the top of the rankings at Roland-Garros. However, it didn't come to pass as she needed to win the title to do so. Swiatek, on the other hand, maintained her ranking by lifting the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup.