One of the best off-court subplots at the 2026 French Open included the dance-off between two of the biggest stars of the sport, Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic. Both players had continued their post-match routine from last year, where each tried to one-up the other in dancing moves while coming down the stairs of Court Philippe Chatrier after winning their matches. However, given Djokovic’s upset five-set loss to Joao Fonseca in the third round, the fun seems to have come to an premature end.

After Sabalenka was at her brutal best while winning 6-0, 7-5 against Daria Kasatkina in the third round, the Belarusian was asked in her on-court interview if there were any dance moves to look forward to, as there were no stairs to dance on at Court Suzanne-Lenglen. However, the Belarusian replied tongue-in-cheek, stating that she was loyal to her friends, hinting that the dance-off was over after Djokovic was knocked out.

“I’m super loyal to my friends so I guess the competition is done. It is how it is. There might be posing, not dancing”, said Sabalenka when asked about future dance routines after her match.

The dance-off between Djokovic and Sabalenka began last year as a joke but quickly gained traction on social media. The Serb picked up the tradition this year after his first-round win, as he got his dancing shoes on the stairs of Phillipe Chatrier and challenged Sabalenka on camera. The Belarusian responded in kind, putting up her dance routine after her win in the first round. The routine took a retro turn as Djokovic sported the famous Moonwalk by Michael Jackson, with Sabalenka responding with a recreation of the dance moves from the song “Thriller” by Jackson. The premature end to the routine deprives the audience of the various fun routines the two would have brought as the event progressed.

On court, Sabalenka will now prepare to face a fellow four-time Major champion in the next round, which could be one of the biggest matches at Paris this year.

Aryna Sabalenka Is Set for Naomi Osaka’s test at the French Open

A battle between two four-time Major champions at a Grand Slam is nothing short of a blockbuster. That is what the 2026 French Open is scheduled to see on Monday as Aryna Sabalenka takes on Naomi Osaka. Sabalenka has done justice to her tag of being the favorite, as she has yet to lose a set in her three rounds, winning against the likes of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Elsa Jacquemot, and Daria Kasatkina in straight sets.

For Naomi Osaka, this is uncharted territory at Roland Garros, as this is her first fourth-round appearance in Paris. The 16th seed started her campaign with two straight-set victories over quality opposition in Laura Siegemund and Donna Vekic in the first couple of rounds. However, she faced her toughest opposition in the third round, where she had to battle against 17th-seeded Iva Jovic in a match that lasted almost 3 hours, with the Japanese coming through with a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4 win.

The head-to-head between Sabalenka and Osaka is 2-1 in favor of the Belarusian, who has had both her victories this year. While their Indian Wells contest was a bit of a dud, with Sabalenka sweeping in straight sets, their Madrid contest was an engrossing one. Osaka held her own, winning the first set and having a lead in the second, and looked like she might get the win, before Sabalenka turned the match around to win in three sets.

With temperatures at an all-time high in Paris, Osaka might get an added purchase from her serve, as she did in Madrid due to the high altitude. However, if the weather turns in the next week and the surface becomes damp and slow, as is typical in Paris, Sabalenka will have the chance to dictate baseline rallies. The match will be one of the most highly anticipated ones in the women’s draw, with both women looking to strengthen their bid for a maiden Roland Garros title.