Novak Djokovic Channels Michael Jackson For Dance-Off with Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic are so great at tennis that, though they’d never admit it, they might be a little bored during the early rounds of the 2026 French Open at Roland-Garros.

They’re certainly feeling loose enough to engage in a dance competition on the side.

On Sunday, Djokovic won his opening match against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and danced on the clay court to celebrate. In the stairwell, he shook his hips, yelled “woo” a few times, and challenged Sabalenka, as seen here.

Sabalenka, the world No. 1, responded with her own dance in the stairwell after her first-round win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Unsolicited judgment?

Sabalenka is a much better dancer, and, as an aside, both she and Djokovic should be careful not to twist an ankle while dancing on stairs.

Anyway, Djokovic announced “Round 2” after his four-set win over France’s Valentin Royer on Wednesday. The 24-time Grand Slam major champion upped the ante by impersonating Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” If you squint, you can see the resemblance.

Djokovic and Sabalenka have developed a close friendship off the court, with Sabalenka posting photos from their “dream double date” last October. Djokovic is married to his high school sweetheart, Jelena, and Sabalenka announced her engagement to Georgios Frangulis on March 4.

Djokovic is seeded third in this year’s tournament. His most recent of his three French Open titles came in 2023. Sabalenka has won the Australian Open twice and the US Open twice, but she’s still chasing her first titles at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 6:35 PM.