Daily Dose of Social Media: Hurkacz honored with Terracotta Warrior, Tsitispas picks his ‘Spirit Animal’

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and Entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Hubert Hurkacz received his terracotta warrior in Shanghai despite not being there to defend his title. Stefanos Tsitsipas chose his ‘Spirit Animal’ and received a funny response from Nicolas Jarry, while Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz once again delighted fans by speaking Chinese.

Hubert Hurkacz received the traditional champion's tribute at the Shanghai Masters with a terracotta warrior. The Chinese tournament has been held since 2009, and in its 12 editions, there have only been 6 champions, each of whom has their own sculpture. Hurkacz is the latest addition to a list that includes Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, and Daniil Medvedev.

The 27-year-old player played his last match in the round of 16 at the ATP 500 Japan Open, where he lost to British player Jack Draper. The early exit in Tokyo wasn't the worst news for the Pole, who will be unable to defend his title at the Shanghai Masters due to injury.

The 2023 champion will lose a significant amount of 1,000 ranking points and will drop out of the top 10 after the tournament, falling at least to world No. 12, depending on the performances of players like Tommy Paul, Holger Rune, or Frances Tiafoe, who are close and could push him even further down as the season comes to a close.

Paula Badosa continues to dream at the China Open after reaching the semifinals of a WTA 1000 for the second time in a row (the previous one at the Cincinnati Open) and the 5th time in her career. Despite a long 6-month absence in the second half of 2023, the Spaniard already seems to have regained the level that took her to world No. 2 two years ago.

The 15th seed defeated an inspired Shuai Zhang and will face Coco Gauff in search of the final, with Badosa leading the head-to-head 3-2. It hasn’t been easy for the Spaniard to find her way back to the top, having been hampered by frequent injuries in recent years. Nevertheless, she reached 11th place in the WTA Race and can still dream of an unexpected spot among the top 8 of the season.

Badosa shared an optimistic message on social media while awaiting her next match on Saturday in Beijing. "I never stopped believing... step by step making my way again. 🔜 Semis 💪"

Jessica Pegula posed for a photo with enthusiastic Chinese fans in Beijing. The American competed in the China Open this week, securing victories against Diane Parry and Veronika Kudermetova, but fell in the round of 16 to Paula Badosa, who avenged her defeat in the Cincinnati Open semifinals a few weeks ago.

The American will face her next challenge at the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open, starting on October 7. In a fun encounter, Chinese fans posed with the world No. 3 alongside an eye-catching comic-style poster featuring pictures of Pegula both on and off the court.

Stefanos Tsitsipas took part in a new ATP Tour video, where he revealed his "Spirit Animal" and received a humorous response from Nicolas Jarry. The Greek player hasn't had the best results since the hardcourt tournaments resumed, with only one win in his last four tournaments. Now he awaits his debut at the Shanghai Masters against the dangerous Kei Nishikori.

Tsitsipas was spotted wearing the Japanese national football team shirt in Tokyo a few weeks ago, marking the start of what will be a series called "The Spirit Animal" on ATP’s social media. "My spirit animal is a platypus. I even tweeted about it. You can find it on Twitter," the 2-time Grand Slam runner-up said. "I’m sure he will never guess it before I even press it," he added when told that his colleague Nicolas Jarry had previously tried to guess his answer.

"I'll go with eagle. Yeah, sometimes when he hits and extends his arms," Nicolas Jarry commented, smiling in a video response, mimicking Tsitsipas’s open-armed gesture.

"Not bad," responded the Greek. "Not a bad try, because eagle used to be the animal I used for my photography account back in the day. Now it’s called @stiopkyn, and it used to be called Steve the Hawk, so it’s not that far off. It’s a very good try from him. He did pretty well. I’m impressed."

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are arguably the most exciting rivalry on the Tour in recent years, and they seem destined to lead the Tour in the post-Big-3 era. Both competed in the final of the Beijing Open on Wednesday, where the Spaniard claimed the title in a tight match, winning 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3).

Rivals on the court, they have shown a strong relationship off it. Just hours after the final, both traveled together (along with their respective teams) on a private flight to Shanghai, covering more than 1,200 kilometers, and shared a photo on social media.

This time, they reunited in Shanghai, and as the main stars, they participated in a promotional event where they attempted to speak in Chinese before the audience, delighting local fans with the pronunciation of their names.