Daily Dose of Social Media: Sinner wraps up Dubai pre-season, Alcaraz surprises Real Madrid squad

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we recap the highlights of Carlos Alcaraz's visit to Real Madrid football players ahead of their latest victory in La Liga. The four-time Grand Slam champion is enjoying his off-season in Spain as he prepares for the upcoming Australian Open.

Meanwhile, his great rival Jannik Sinner took a break from his preseason training, spending his final day in Dubai before traveling to Italy to celebrate Christmas with his family. At the same time, the ATP shared a throwback Christmas video featuring top stars, including Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem, and Milos Raonic.

Carlos Alcaraz visits Real Madrid players Bernabéu for 4-2 win over Sevilla

Carlos Alcaraz surprised Real Madrid players by visiting the Santiago Bernabéu during their 4-2 victory against Sevilla. The four-time Grand Slam champion started his day early at Real Madrid’s training facility in Valdebebas, greeting the players and wishing them luck before heading to the stadium.

The 21-year-old tennis star was warmly received, with players queuing up to take photos and chat with him. Alcaraz met several of the team’s top names, including Antonio Rüdiger, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Jude Bellingham. He also posed for pictures with club president Florentino Pérez and manager Carlo Ancelotti. As a token of appreciation, Alcaraz was gifted the current Real Madrid jersey, complete with his name and the No. 1 on the back.

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ATP shares nostalgic festive video featuring former stars

The ATP delighted fans with a throwback Christmas-themed video, featuring some of the biggest stars who once dominated the ATP Tour. Among them were retired players like three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem.

In a playful Q&A segment, the players donned quirky Christmas outfits, including festive glasses, hats, and other eye-catching accessories, joking and laughing in front of the cameras. The video also featured appearances from stars such as John Isner, Jack Sock, Marin Čilić, Milos Raonic, and Karen Khachanov, among others. “We went deep into the archives to summon this festive cheer🎄 Enjoy this… beautiful… rendition,” shared the ATP on their Instagram account.

Azarenka says tennis might not be for her son Leo

Victoria Azarenka responds to whether she would encourage her son Leo to become a professional tennis player. The former world No. 1 recently celebrated her son’s 9th birthday. Leo often accompanies her on tour throughout the year, frequently seen at various tennis events, exhibitions, or charity activities tied to the sport. He is deeply familiar with the inner workings of the tennis world.

For this reason, a social media user asked Azarenka if she would support Leo in a potential tennis career: “Would you encourage Leo to become a pro 🎾player or even coach him?” Azarenka was asked. “He’s not really into tennis, so I’m not sure it will be for him,” responded the two-time Australian Open champion.

Today, Azarenka shared a few snapshots of her recent days in Florida, where she and Leo attended an ice hockey game as spectators, a sport both are avid fans of. “🎶 Friday night lights? Nah, it’s Friday night ice! 🎶 And don’t miss the last slide for our winning goal reactions—pure joy! 😄”

“Oh, and guess who I ran into? The Grinch himself! 😂 (Spoiler: I might’ve won him over with my shoes). Rate the kicks out of 10, go on, I can take it! 🤘🏻”

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Swiatek and Sabalenka tease fans with fun training video in Abu Dhabi

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek spent the week in Abu Dhabi as part of the World Tennis League, a team exhibition event featuring some of the sport’s biggest stars. The world No. 1 and No. 2 showcased their camaraderie off the court, sharing a photo together on social media earlier in the week. Today, they delighted fans with a joint Instagram video showing the two competing in a light-hearted speed challenge during a training session.

Sabalenka and Swiatek have been the dominant forces in women’s tennis in recent years, winning a combined eight Grand Slam titles since 2020. They have faced each other 12 times, with Swiatek leading the head-to-head 8-4, including a 4-1 record in finals. In 2024, they clashed three times, with Swiatek triumphing in the Rome and Madrid Open finals (saving three match points in Madrid), while Sabalenka took revenge in the Cincinnati Open semifinals.

Swiatek is set to compete in the United Cup starting on December 29, while Sabalenka will play at the Brisbane International. The two will meet again in Melbourne for the year’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, where Sabalenka will aim to defend her title. The rivalry will reignite as both players battle match by match for the coveted world No. 1 spot.

Jannik Sinner wraps up pre-season training in Dubai ahead of Christmas in Italy

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner concluded his off-season training in Dubai before heading back to Italy for the Christmas holidays. The two-time Grand Slam champion has been preparing at the Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy over the past few weeks, training alongside players like Grigor Dimitrov and rising Spanish talent Martin Landaluce. The 2-time Grand Slam champion will take a short break from his preparations to spend the festive season in his home country.

Unlike Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, the Italian has opted to skip warm-up tournaments ahead of the Australian Open. Instead, he will head directly to Melbourne to prepare for the season’s first Grand Slam, where he is set to defend his title. Fans won’t see him back in competitive action until mid-January. Before leaving Dubai, Sinner shared photos with his team on social media, captioning them: “After two solid weeks of preseason, I’m feeling great! 💪🏻🎾 Wishing you all Merry Christmas 🎄.”