Novak Djokovic congratulated Aryna Sabalenka for becoming a Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open.
Sabalenka, 24, defeated Elena Rybakina 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the Australian Open final.
After suffering three Grand Slam semifinal defeats, Sabalenka finally made a big Grand Slam breakthrough at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic, who also became a Grand Slam champion at the 2008 Australian Open, took a moment to congratulate Sabalenka.
“Congratulations @sabalenka_aryna,” Djokovic wrote on his Instagram Story.
Sabalenka receives a congratulatory message from Djokovic
Sabalenka has been regarded as one of the best players in the game for several years now.
After winning her first Grand Slam title at 24, Sabalenka admitted that she felt an instant relief.
“It’s everything in one moment. It’s kind of relief because I’ve been in the top 10 – one of the top 10 players – but I didn’t have a Grand Slam trophy yet. That’s been really tough to get, super emotional, every Slam was super emotional, and right now, when I finally get it, it’s relief – it’s joy. I’m just proud of myself, of my team and everyone, you know,” Sabalenka told Eurosport’s Barbara Schett.
Moments after beating Rybakina, Sabalenka went to her team to give them all a big hug.
During those moments, Sabalenka was visibly emotional as tears of joy were seen on her face.
“To be honest, I was a little bit swearing – it’s crazy. These guys are like my family, you know. We’ve been through really tough times and they’ve been there for me, they supported me in the most tough moments. I felt like responsibility in front of them, you know, for this trophy. I felt like these guys deserve it and I was just crying because of everything,” Sabalenka said.
On Monday, Sabalenka will return to world No 2.
It will be interesting to see if Sabalenka can win more Grand Slams in the rest of 2023.
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