Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and Entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Daniil Medvedev caught the audience's attention in Turin with a curious gesture after defeating Alex De Minaur at the ATP Finals. Later, Jannik Sinner shared a heartwarming image with a young fan and was left speechless after the incredible ovation he received during the on-court interview.
On the other hand, Emma Raducanu joined Katie Boulter to lead the Great Britain team in the Billie Jean King Cup, while Aryna Sabalenka continues celebrating the end of her year and shared a photoshoot with Neymar and Ons Jabeur.
A striking gesture from Daniil Medvedev stole the spotlight after his victory over Alex De Minaur at the ATP Finals. In his previous match against Fritz, Medvedev had a controversial episode, earning a point penalty after throwing his racket at a microphone and repeatedly hurling it into the air. He even returned serve with the racket flipped upside down and had heated exchanges with the chair umpire over the balls used in the match.
The former World No. 1 put on a better performance against the Australian, securing an important 6-2, 6-4 victory that keeps him alive in the Round Robin. Following the win, he made a gesture by covering his ears and looking towards the crowd, then signed the camera with "Block the noise."
He later admitted: "I went into this match also blocking the noise even from myself,” Medvedev said. “No tantrums or anything. Just block the noise. And I really didn’t care what was happening on the court. I just tried to play, and it was a good feeling.”
Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are ready to go at the BJK Cup Finals. pic.twitter.com/2AQoMq9VFk
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) November 12, 2024
Emma Raducanu (No. 58) and Katie Boulter (No. 24) met in Malaga as they prepare for Great Britain’s debut in the Billie Jean King Cup. Both are the singles players chosen by Anne Keothavong to lead the European team. The team is also composed of Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, and Olivia Nicholls.
Great Britain will face Germany on November 15. This time, the Germans will be without former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber, who led the team for the past decade. In this transition phase, Eva Lys (No. 130) and Jule Niemeier (No. 91) will be their key players. Recent social media photos show Boulter and Raducanu laughing and training together.
In the last Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers series, the British team surprised 6th-seed France, led by Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry, who, as hosts, took Raducanu and company to the clay courts at Le Chaudron in Le Portel, where they seemed to have the advantage. However, two huge wins from Raducanu and another from Boulter secured a 3-1 qualification.
Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are ready to go at the BJK Cup Finals. pic.twitter.com/2AQoMq9VFk
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) November 12, 2024
Novak Djokovic participated in a Q&A session in spanish as he looked forward to the exhibition match against Juan Martin Del Potro. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was recently announced as the Argentine’s opponent for his farewell exhibition in his hometown of Buenos Aires, where Del Potro will face the current world No. 6.
The Serbian player was asked to choose between different options, and he surprised fans by choosing mate (the traditional Argentine drink) over coffee, among other selections of Argentine foods. Djokovic also expressed his excitement for participating in the farewell exhibition of the 2009 US Open champion.
Nole leads the head-to-head 16-4, although Del Potro handed Djokovic some of the most painful losses of his career, such as in the first round of the Rio Open 2016 when the Argentine, returning from injury and ranked No. 145, defeated Djokovic, who was the tournament’s top seed. Other memorable matches include their bronze medal clash at London 2012 and the Davis Cup final in 2011.
Aryna Sabalenka shared a photoshoot as a memento of her time at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, including photos with Brazilian footballer Neymar and 3-time Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur. The current world No. 1 posted several photos both on the courts and in her off-court moments, including her appearance at the tournament’s welcome gala.
Despite being eliminated in the semifinals, the Belarusian ended the year at the top of the rankings for the first time in her career. Over the past few days, she has shared several photos and videos celebrating this achievement. This time, she looked back on her week in Riyadh and even received replies from Jabeur and Neymar on her post, which has garnered over 90,000 likes on Instagram.
Roger Federer shared a new photoshoot while enjoying his safari vacation. The 20-time Grand Slam champion got up close with wild animals like lions, leopards, and elephants on safari: "Unforgettable days in the wild 🐆 🦁 🦏 🦒 🌳 🌍," he posted.
The Swiss former player has been retired for over two years but continues to travel frequently, attending tennis events or those of his sponsors, while also enjoying exploring new places. Federer still hasn’t put down his racket entirely, as he was also spotted hitting a few shots on a tennis court.
Jannik Sinner shared a sweet moment with a young fan as he entered the Central Court for his match against Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals. The world No. 1 walked in hand-in-hand with Francesca, a 7-year-old fan, chatting with her and giving her a high-five while preparing his bags before the warm-up.
The 2-time Grand Slam champion has delivered stellar performances in the tournament, securing comfortable wins over Alex De Minaur and Fritz, which have all but guaranteed his place in the semifinals. The hometown hero is the top favorite and aims to become the first Italian to claim the ATP Finals title, after losing in the 2023 final to Novak Djokovic. Sinner later, after beating Fritz, received an incredible ovation from the crowd that left him speechless during the on-court interview.