Aryna Sabalenka 'leaks' private DM she received from Novak Djokovic after her victory over Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon
Aryna Sabalenka has revealed Novak Djokovic's touching gesture following her big victory over Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon.
Sabalenka knocked Raducanu out of Wimbledon after winning their centre court showdown 7-6, 6-4 on Friday.
The Brit produced a spirited display and put the top seed under extreme pressure before succumbing to her opponent.
After her victory over Raducanu, seven-time Wimbledon winner Djokovic sent a message to Sabalenka, who has since revealed his gesture.
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Sabalenka said Djokovic reached out to her after beating Raducanu and received a drawing from his son.
Asked if he had got in touch following her latest victory at this year's WImbledon, she replied: "Yeah, he actually messaged."
The Belarusian added: "I got to meet his kids... they're so adorable. He actually sent me a drawing from his son and it was so cute.
"And, of course, he congratulated me with such stuff."
Sabalenka and Djokovic are close friends, with the Serbian gatecrashing her press conference earlier in the competition.
The 27-year-old, a three-time Grand Slam winner, praised Raducanu for her 'incredible' level and backed her counterpart to return to the top 10.
"Emma played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard to get this win," she said.
"I had to fight for every point to get this win. I'm pretty sure she will get back to the top 10 soon."
Raducanu, ranked 40th in the world, said: "It's nice of her to say that, but I think it was pretty clear the difference. In the big moments, she was able to convert, she was able to hit some incredible shots.
"I just need to keep working and get back to the drawing board and improve a lot more."
Sabalenka, who is aiming to win her maiden Wimbledon championship, has since gone onto reach the quarter-finals after beating Elise Mertens in the last-16.
Where to buy last-minute Wimbledon tickets
The Wimbledon ballot may have closed for another year, but it’s not too late to buy advance tickets if you know where to look.
If you don’t mind splashing out on the experience, Seat Unique has the option to book ‘VIP Debenture Behind The Server’ and ‘VIP Debenture Front 5 Rows’ tickets.
These tickets offer 'unparalleled views' of the court, so you won't miss out on any of the action.
As for resale tickets, you'll want to head over to StubHub and Viagogo.
Topics: Tennis, Novak Djokovic, Emma Raducanu
Nasir Jabbar