What did Sabalenka say about the agreement with Djokovic?

Sabalenka joked that Djokovic begged her to play with him, and she replied: 'I'll help you, legend. Let's have fun and try to win the title.'

Have Djokovic and Sabalenka played together before?

Yes, they played together in an exhibition match ahead of the 2024 Australian Open, and their friendship has since become very close.

Why was the mixed doubles format at the US Open changed?

The format was changed to attract the biggest stars of world tennis to the court, with a shortened match format in the early rounds and the competition moved to the week before the main tournament.

Tennis

Sabalenka reveals how Djokovic 'begged' her for mixed doubles

Q: When will Djokovic and Sabalenka play mixed doubles at the US Open?

The mixed doubles at the US Open will take place from August 24 to 26, 2026, just before the start of the main tournament.

T.E. · Prije 4h | 2 min

The world's top female tennis player joked about the Serbian ace and revealed the background of the agreement to play together at the US Open.

Summary

Aryna Sabalenka revealed that Novak Djokovic begged her to play with him in mixed doubles at the US Open.
The pair will compete in the new mixed doubles format taking place from August 24-26, 2026, in New York.
Back in January 2026, Sabalenka joked that she was waiting for Djokovic's message about being his ideal partner.
The two have already played together in an exhibition ahead of the 2024 Australian Open.

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The world's top female tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, has revealed how the agreement with Novak Djokovic to play mixed doubles at the US Open came about. After her victory in Cincinnati, Sabalenka laughed as she recounted that the Serbian tennis player literally begged her to play with him.

A humorous tale about a message that never arrived

"Well, you know how it is, Novak begged me to play with him. I told him: 'You know what? I'll help you, legend. Let's have fun and try to win the title.' It's all true. We'll play together. It will be really fun. I'm very excited," said a smiling Sabalenka.

Interestingly, this story has been going on for months. Back during the Australian Open in January 2026, Sabalenka joked that she was waiting for Djokovic's message in which he would explain that she was his ideal partner.

"I'm still waiting for that long message from him, about how he would love to play with me and that I'm his ideal partner. I'm still waiting for the message. I never got it," Sabalenka joked at the time.

New mixed doubles format at the US Open

Djokovic and Sabalenka are on the list of registered pairs for the US Open mixed doubles, which will take place from August 24 to 26, 2026, just before the start of the main tournament in New York.

Their appearance will be part of a completely revamped mixed doubles format at the US Open. The competition has been moved to the week before the main tournament, with a shortened match format in the early rounds, to attract the biggest stars of world tennis to the court.

A friendship that spans years

The two have already had the chance to be on the same side of the net, playing together in an exhibition match ahead of the 2024 Australian Open. Their friendship has since become very close, and Sabalenka has repeatedly said she values Novak's advice.

The WTA has previously written about their off-court camaraderie, which further fuels interest in this pair that the New York crowd will soon have the opportunity to see on the same side of the court.