{"id":2057752,"date":"2026-07-23T10:00:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2057752"},"modified":"2026-07-23T10:00:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:00:30","slug":"aryna-sabalenka-admits-to-copying-novak-djokovic-after-making-major-tactical-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2057752","title":{"rendered":"Aryna Sabalenka admits to copying Novak Djokovic after making major tactical change"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Aryna Sabalenka admits to copying Novak Djokovic after making major tactical change<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/liam-mcmillen\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Liam McMillen                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"23 Jul 2026 11:00 AM\" data-ps-date=\"23 Jul 2026 11:00 AM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1784800830\"><br \/>\n                            23 Jul 2026 11:00 AM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img 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space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Aryna Sabalenka admits to copying Novak Djokovic after making major tactical change\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/aryna-sabalenka-novak-djokovic-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have struck up a friendship away from the tennis court.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Aryna Sabalenka<\/a>\u2019s season has not lived up to her World No 1 status so far in 2026, and she is hoping that will change during the North American hardcourt swing.<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka has experienced highs this season, of course, namely when she collected the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and the Miami Open in March.<\/p>\n<p>However, on the Grand Slam stages, the star is yet to claim a major title this year. She was beaten in the final of the Australian Open and fared less well at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka was defeated in the quarter-finals of the French Grand Slam at the hands of Diana Shnaider and she was beaten one stage earlier at Wimbledon by Naomi Osaka.<\/p>\n<p>The star is still clinging onto her World No 1 status, however, although less than 500 points split her and World No 2 Elena Rybakina ahead of the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open double.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Sabalenka<\/a> looks to assert her dominance on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/WTA-Tour\">WTA Tour<\/a> for the rest of the season, she has revealed one tactical change she has made after asking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Novak Djokovic<\/a> for advice.<\/p>\n<h2>More Aryna Sabalenka news<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-reveals-prefers-jannik-sinner-or-carlos-alcaraz\">Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz? Aryna Sabalenka explains why she \u2018prefers\u2019 one of the duo<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/jimmy-connors-left-baffled-aryna-sabalenka-wimbledon\">Aryna Sabalenka told she is \u2018going to have to start proving herself\u2019 by Jimmy Connors<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Speaking to <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_Zv20pBmHM0\" target=\"_blank\">First&amp;Red<\/a>, the World No 1 said: \u201cWe were talking once, and I really like his return game. We were chatting, so I asked, \u2018Listen, what do you focus on when you\u2019re standing there waiting to return? Because, well, your return is better.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said, well, first of all, he has a specific stance; I tried it, and it really made it easier for me to react. Plus, he said, \u2018I focus on myself; I just try to do a split-step and then react.\u2019 Also, you can often see where the opponent is serving, or you get a feel for it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, that was the advice! Ever since then, he\u2019s been like, \u2018You\u2019re copying me.\u2019 Well, it\u2019s sort of like copying the best. His technique helped me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI changed things up a bit. I feel like, well, it\u2019s somewhat similar. Not exactly the same, actually, but the technique is a little like his.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite failing to win a Grand Slam in 2026, Sabalenka has still racked up an impressive win-loss record throughout the first seven months of the season.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s won 36 matches and lost just 6 this year, which has helped her collect three singles titles. The star won the Brisbane International at the turn of the year before her triumph at the Sunshine Double.<\/p>\n<p>She heads into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/us-open\">US Open<\/a> having won the title in back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025. Her last defeat at Flushing Meadows came against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/coco-gauff\">Coco Gauff<\/a> in the final of the 2023 tournament.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aryna Sabalenka admits to copying Novak Djokovic after making major tactical change Liam McMillen 23 Jul 2026 11:00 AM Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have struck up a friendship away from the tennis court. Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s season has not lived up to her World No 1 status so far in 2026, and she is hoping [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2057752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2057752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057752\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2057752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2057752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2057752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}