Thriller Night in Paris: Sabalenka reacts to Djokovic with dance moves inspired by MJ

As the world’s top tennis players continue their pursuit of Grand Slam glory in Paris, Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenkova have injected an unexpected dose of fun into the French Open with an ongoing, light-hearted dance challenge.

The playful exchange began after Djokovic’s first-round victory at Roland-Garros, when the Serbian star jokingly Sabalenka called as he walked up the steps of Court Philippe-Chatrier. What started as a casual moment has since evolved into a running theme of the tournament, with both players trying to outdo each other after matches through iconic dance-inspired celebrations.

The rhythmic rivalry escalated after Djokovic’s second-round victory, when he surprised fans by recreating Michael Jackson’s legendary “moonwalk”. The gesture quickly went viral and raised the stakes in the unofficial competition between the two tennis superstars.

Sabalenkova, never one to shy away from the limelight, responded in style after her straight sets win over France’s Elsa Jacquemot. She embraced the theme and delivered choreography inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller era, matching Djokovic’s energetic step-by-step and keeping the playful challenge alive.

“Well, I guess we’re bringing it old school, so we’ll see what I’m up to,” Sabalenka said after her second-round win on Thursday, May 28. “I have to memorize the dance and hopefully I can do it.

Her remarks highlighted the fun side of the competition, offering fans a refreshing break from the intensity of Grand Slam pressure, while acknowledging the challenge set by the 24-time major champion.

TO COURT

Despite the off-court theatrics, both Djokovic and Sabalenka are firmly focused on their Roland-Garros campaign. The two stars successfully advanced to the third round after securing wins in their respective second round matches.

Sabalenka faced a brief scare against Jacquemotshe struggled early as the French player pushed her in the opening stages. However, the world number one regained control with composure and strength and eventually sealed a straight-set win to continue her strong run in the tournament.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC HITS ROLAND GARROS AROUND A CLEAN MAIL WINNER.

I’m 39 years old and I still do stuff like this.

pic.twitter.com/kNzfp5PhTt— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 27, 2026

Meanwhile, Djokovic looked at the course for a routine victory against Frenchman Valentin Royer after playing the opening two sets. However, he was pushed into the fourth set after dropping a tight third-set tiebreak, forcing him to dig deeper than expected to close out the match.

The Serbian great now prepares for a third-round clash against rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca, and is still being strongly counted on as one of the front-runners for the title in Paris. Djokovic remains the heavy favorite to win a historic 25th Grand Slam crown, especially after that world number one and top seed Jannik Sinner suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the dramatic upset of the second round.

As the tournament progresses, the mix of high-level tennis and playful off-court moments between Djokovic and Sabalenko have added an entertaining subplot to an already compelling French Open narrative.

– The end

Published on:

May 29, 2026 1:20 PM IST