Novak Djokovic took Maria Sharapova on a date after a cheeky bet.
Novak Djokovic once took Maria Sharapova on a date (Image: Getty)
Novak Djokovic once attempted to woo Maria Sharapova with a cheeky bet that ended with the tennis duo going on a date. Keen to impress the Russian when they were both breaking through on their respective tours, Djokovic took her out to a Japanese restaurant in the weeks before an Indian Wells tournament.
Now happily married to wife Jelena Ristic since 2014, Djokovic once had eyes for a date with Sharapova. Both players were impressing in the early stages of their tennis careers. Ahead of Indian Wells one year, the 24-time Grand Slam winner wanted to take things one step further. Djokovic saw his opportunity while they played at an exhibition in La Quinta, and bet Sharapova that if he won his match, he would take her on a dinner date.
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Speaking in 2020 during a live stream on Djokovic’s Instagram, Sharapova recalled: “I think we were playing a mixed doubles against each other and you said that if you win, I would have to get you dinner, and I was like, ‘OK, whatever. Who is this kid?’
“And you won and you’re like, ‘We have dinner, tonight. We are going to the Japanese place’. I was like, ‘Are you serious? You and me, going to dinner? Tonight?’ So we did. We ended up going to dinner.
“It was so funny, because you pulled out this old Kodak camera and you asked the waiter to take a photo. This feels like I auctioned off myself for dinner!”
In a separate interview on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Sharapova added of the ordeal: “I remember we had won our first Grand Slams, it was at the time he was getting there, getting to the top and his body was not at the level of his tennis.
Maria Sharapova says the date happened soon after they won their first few Grand Slams (Image: Getty)
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“I know him very well and it’s incredible to see how passionate he is, and this element of longevity he has, how he treats his body, how his preparations are, it’s fascinating.”
Djokovic and Sharapova, herself a five-time Grand Slam champion in a glittering career, remain very good friends. The Serb has two children with his wife Jelena, while Sharapova has a son with fiancé and British businessman Alexander Gilkes.
A 25th Grand Slam title has eluded Djokovic since he won the 2023 US Open. He will hope to end that barren run at Wimbledon this summer.
