As the 2025 Wimbledon Championships approach, the grass courts of Aorangi Park at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club are buzzing with anticipation. On June 23 and 24, fans were treated to a spectacle of tennis royalty, as WTA World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka shared the practice courts with ATP World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic. These lively, cross-tour practice sessions, filled with laughter and competitive flair, have set social media ablaze, offering a tantalizing preview of the intensity and camaraderie that will define the tournament, kicking off on June 30.
Sabalenka, chasing her first Venus Rosewater Dish after semifinal appearances in 2021 and 2023, faced off against Sinner on Monday in a lighthearted yet fiercely contested target practice drill. The challenge was simple: knock over a ball tube placed in no-man’s-land between the baseline and service line. Both players, known for their thunderous groundstrokes, struggled initially—Sabalenka’s shots sailed long, while Sinner’s baseline precision wavered. But the Belarusian’s finesse prevailed as she nailed the target with a deft backhand slice, earning bragging rights. “I hit with the best and then I am done,” Sabalenka quipped on Wimbledon’s social media, her grin infectious as Sinner’s team begrudgingly performed push-ups as their penalty. The session wasn’t just about fun; it showcased Sabalenka’s adaptability on grass, a surface where her power game has yet to fully translate into a final appearance, and Sinner’s ongoing quest to refine his grass-court craft after a 2023 semifinal run.
The following day, Sabalenka traded volleys with Djokovic, a 38-year-old legend eyeing an eighth Wimbledon title to match Roger Federer’s record. Their session turned playful when Djokovic, with a mischievous glint, called out Sabalenka’s signature grunt as a potential “hindrance” on the ATP tour. “That would be a hindrance on the ATP tour,” he teased, prompting a mock protest from Sabalenka and a cheeky retort from her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, who posted a video of the exchange on Instagram Stories. The stakes escalated when Djokovic upped the ante in their target challenge, offering “a hundred bucks” for extra motivation. Sabalenka, never one to back down, hit the target and jokingly demanded, “Give me my money! Do you have cash?” Though Djokovic struck first, Sabalenka got her revenge, leaving neither richer but both beaming with camaraderie. Their friendship, evident in Sabalenka’s past praise—“It’s really good to have someone like Novak, a friend-like someone like Novak. You can always ask for advice”—adds a layer of warmth to their competitive spirit.
These sessions come at a pivotal moment for all three players. Sabalenka, fresh off finals at the Australian Open and French Open in 2025, is a top seed and a favorite to go deep at Wimbledon, despite her 2024 withdrawal due to a shoulder injury. Her three Grand Slam titles and nine WTA 1000 crowns underscore her dominance, yet Wimbledon remains the one major where she’s yet to reach the final. Sinner, the top men’s seed, is still smarting from a second-round exit at Halle but carries momentum from his 2025 Australian Open title and a French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic, ranked No. 6 after a quieter 2025, remains a grass-court titan, his 20th consecutive Wimbledon appearance fueled by a hunger to reclaim Grand Slam glory after a semifinal loss to Sinner at Roland Garros.
The practice sessions also highlight the evolving dynamics of tennis’s elite. Sabalenka’s recent decision to pair with Grigor Dimitrov for the revamped US Open mixed doubles event—after he “begged” her via relentless texts—signals her willingness to embrace new challenges. “He was texting me, non-stop, begging me to play. I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to play.’ But he was like, ‘Ok, you got it,’” she laughed, hinting at her packed schedule. Similarly, Sinner’s pairing with Emma Navarro and Djokovic’s with Olga Danilovic for the same event shows top players blending singles intensity with doubles flair, a trend that’s sparked debate among fans about the dilution of traditional doubles.
As Wimbledon begins, Sabalenka, Sinner, and Djokovic are among the favorites, alongside Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek. The practice court banter—complete with push-ups, cash bets, and grunting jabs—reveals a lighter side to their fierce ambition. Sabalenka’s power, Sinner’s precision, and Djokovic’s experience will be tested over the fortnight, with the grass courts promising drama and upsets. For now, these “mixed madness” sessions have set the tone: Wimbledon 2025 is poised to be a celebration of talent, rivalry, and the joy of the game.
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