Today in
our
Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and
Entertainment from ATP and WTA players.
Rafael Nadal met with
Billie Jean King after his training in Malaga for the Davis Cup Finals and his retirement. Meanwhile, the
ATP Finals provided a rare moment on tour with a long Video Review (Tennis VAR) during the match between
Alexander Zverev and
Taylor Fritz.
On the other hand,
Emma Raducanu celebrates her great performance at the
Billie Jean King Cup, Team Australia shares laughs with a fun team game, and
Naomi Osaka was awarded at the GQ 2024 Party.
Two legends
unite: Nadal and Billie Jean King share a moment in Malaga
Two legends
reunited today in Malaga, as 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal finished
his training with Team Spain in preparation for next week’s Davis Cup Finals.
While the Billie Jean King Cup Finals are taking place at the Martín Carpena
Arena, the same venue will host the men's nation tournament.
As Nadal
prepares for his final tournament as a professional, he encountered 12-time
singles Grand Slam champion and WTA founder Billie Jean King. "You’re
looking good," King said while greeting the 38-year-old Spaniard.
"You know what, you always volley," she added, to which Nadal smiled
in response. The two also took several photos for the media from the side of
the court.
Team
Australia shares laughs in fun word game
The Billie
Jean King Cup Finals is looking for a new champion this week as the women's
team competition draws to a close for the year. The 8 quarterfinalists have
already been decided, and they will return to the court on November 16 and 17
in search of semifinal spots, including Australia, which had a bye in the first
round as the 4th seeds.
The
Australians will face the surprise team Slovakia, who unexpectedly eliminated
the USA, which was missing Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and led by Danielle
Collins. Team Australia members
Daria Saville, Kimberly Birrell, Maya Joint,
and Ellen Perez took part in a fun game in which, in pairs, they tried to say
the same word at the same time.
Zverev and
Fritz smile through tense Video Review drama
The
semifinal match between Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz featured a notable
moment during the first-set tie-break. With Fritz leading 1-0 after an early
mini-break, the American was serving when the chair umpire called a ‘net up’ on
Zverev’s approach to the net. The German then requested a video review.
After
Zverev's request, the chair umpire took nearly a minute to review the replay
and make a decision, while both players waited anxiously. At one point, Zverev
even decided to sit on one of the advertising banners at the side of the court.
Ultimately, the umpire reversed his decision and ordered the point to be
replayed, after the footage was shown on the big screen — one of the
innovations at the ATP Finals and the Next Gen ATP Finals. Both players took
the delay in stride, smiling as they returned to the game. In the replayed
point, Zverev managed to break back and win the mini-break.
Osaka
shines at GQ Men of the Year Party 2024
Naomi Osaka
recently attended the GQ Men of the Year Party 2024 and took home the gold in
the "Big Fit of the Night" category. The 4-time Grand Slam champion
was one of the star guests at the event, continuing to shine as one of the most
prominent female athletes in the world of fashion.
The theme
of the party was American Rodeo, and Osaka impressed in an outfit by the brand
Amiri, featuring a white shirt, leather tie, studded pants, and a striking
wide-brimmed hat. After the party, the 27-year-old Japanese shared a series of
photos of the event and the award she received, which she thanked at the awards
ceremony: “It feels great to win a medal this year,” she joked.
The former
world No. 1 ended her season in early October after suffering an injury at the
China Open while facing Coco Gauff (6-3, 4-6, ret.). Osaka made her return this
season after a long maternity break, and after starting the year outside the
top-800, she made an incredible rise to No. 59 in the year-end ranking.
Raducanu
sparks Team GB’s victory at Billie Jean King Cup
Emma
Raducanu has expressed her excitement about being part of Team Great Britain in
recent days. The 2021 US Open champion is one of the key stars in the Billie
Jean King Cup Finals and had a standout debut against Jule Niemeier, defeating
her 6-4, 6-4. Later, Katie Boulter triumphed over Laura Siegemund (6-1, 6-2),
securing a spot in the quarterfinals, where they will face defending champions
Canada on November 17.
After the
successful debut of the British team, Raducanu shared photos on Instagram of
her recent days in Spain with the team, including shots of the British crowd
that came in full support in Malaga. "🇬🇧 there’s more milk in the fridge —>>>
quarters," she posted after the first-round victory.
Alcaraz,
Zverev, and De Minaur share the foods they hate in hilarious ATP video
The ATP
recently shared a video in which the stars of the ATP Finals revealed the foods
they hate, even though others love them. With just one day left in the
tournament, the finalists are already set, with Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz
in singles, while the doubles final will feature the German duo Kevin
Krawietz/Tim Pütz against doubles world No. 1 Marcelo Arévalo/Mate Pavic.
"What
food do you hate but others love?" players were asked as they walked
through the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy. "Banana," was the response
from 4-time Grand Slam champion
Carlos Alcaraz.
On the
other hand, Alexander Zverev chose codfish, while
Alex de Minaur gave one of
the most controversial answers by picking Vegemite, a popular spread in
Australia and New Zealand known as one of their national foods. "That’s
just Aussie heaven right there, and it’s not my thing," he said.