Daily Dose of Social Media: Djokovic plays on the Great Wall, Muchova shows off Beijing workout

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the top activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Novak Djokovic surprised on social media with remarkable images of him playing tennis on the Great Wall of China and participating in a photoshoot with a local star during a promotional event for his sponsor.

As the Asian swing progresses, Karolina Muchova shared a video of her intense training amid a great comeback. Meanwhile, two ATP and WTA legends expressed their joy at Simona Halep’s return in Hong Kong.  

Novak Djokovic participated in a unique event while waiting for the start of the Shanghai Masters. The 24-time Grand Slam champion will return to the Tour in a week, for the first time since the Davis Cup, where Serbia dominated Greece in Belgrade. Nole has already arrived in China as he prepares to chase his first Tour-level title of the season.

The recent Olympic Gold medalist played tennis on none other than the Great Wall of China in a promotional video for his main apparel sponsor, Lacoste, alongside local singer Wang Yibo, a member of the South Korean-Chinese band Uniq. With an impressive intervention from the clothing sponsor, Nole also participated in a photoshoot after the friendly moment playing tennis with the local star.

There is still some uncertainty regarding how Djokovic’s season will end, as it's yet to be confirmed whether he can qualify for the ATP Finals — something that hasn’t happened since 2017, when injuries prevented him from playing regularly. There’s still Shanghai ahead, followed by the exhibition ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia.

Great anticipation is building for Simona Halep’s return to the Tour starting Monday, September 30, at the WTA 125 Hong Kong Open. Two legends, Chris Evert and Boris Becker, shared their excitement on social media about the return of one of the best players of the last decade.

The Romanian’s doping ban kept her off the Tour for nearly 20 months. Halep was found innocent after a lengthy process, during which she repeatedly criticized the lack of transparency and her inability to appeal or defend herself. However, she managed to reduce her initial four-year sentence and made a quick return to the court at the Miami Open.

Despite her long absence from the courts, the 2-time Grand Slam champion showed a good level against Paula Badosa but lost in three sets. Injuries later plagued Halep, leading her to withdraw from her next tournament two months later, while she was a set up against McCartney Kessler at the WTA 125 in Paris.

Halep is now fully prepared for her return to the Tour during the Asian Swing, having accepted a wild card for the Hong Kong event. She will face Australian Arina Rodionova in her opening match.

Marketa Vondrousova updated her fans after ending her season due to injury. The 2023 Wimbledon champion is spending her days in Valencia with her boyfriend, fellow Czech tennis player Andrew Paulson (ranked No. 365).

The former world No. 6 made her last appearance at Wimbledon, where she was defending her title, but was upset in the first round by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in straight sets. Vondrousova later announced her withdrawal from the Olympic Games and the US Open due to a hand injury.

The talented Czech player then underwent shoulder surgery, which forced her to end her season and will likely see her drop out of the top 35 heading into 2025. While recovering from her injury, Vondrousova shared some photos on social media of her downtime in Valencia, Spain.

Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff stole the spotlight in traditional Chinese outfits at the Beijing Palace. Although they recently shared a few photos together while strolling through the 'Forbidden City', this time they revealed the outfits they wore in a fun joint video by the ATP and WTA.

Both Grand Slam champions arrived as favourites at the China Open, and each has already secured two victories. Gauff is awaiting her round of 16 match (against Katie Volynets or Naomi Osaka), while Alcaraz has already advanced to the quarterfinals, where he will face Karen Khachanov.

After a teaser of the outing featuring two of the most prominent stars in tennis today, the full video was finally released: "It's my first time in the Forbidden City, and it's very cool. I didn't know what to expect, it's really cool to be surrounded by so much,” said the American world No. 2.

"I'm going to remember this moment for sure; it couldn't be with a better person than Coco. I had so much fun with her, so I think we're going to have a really good picture together with the clothes,” Alcaraz added, as both laughed and joked together.

Karolina Muchova has been simply remarkable since her return to the WTA Tour a few months ago, after a long recovery period from an injury. The Czech player ended her fantastic 2023 season early and spent nearly 9 months without competing due to wrist surgery after the US Open.

This year, she has only played five tournaments but has delivered outstanding performances, including a semifinal run at Flushing Meadows in early September and reaching the final at the Palermo Open (with a 14-4 record so far). In a new video on social media, Muchova shared her training routine in Beijing, which includes gym work and, of course, time on the court. The Czech also spent time with her colleagues Priscilla Hon and Kirsten Flipkens, and posted a video of herself during her last match at the China Open.

In China, she has already secured wins over Anna Blinkova and local 30th seed Yue Yuan. In the Round of 32, she will face Romanian Jaqueline Cristian as she seeks to continue improving her strong comeback in the latter part of the season. For now, she has already reached the top 50 in the WTA rankings and the top 40 in the Race.