Sabalenka and Kyrgios reunite pre-'Battle of the Sexes'; Fonseca debuts shaved head as Zheng Qinwen stuns in Vogue photoshoot

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the off-season continues for the ATP and WTA stars, amidst training, exhibitions, and players' vacations. Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios appeared promoting their upcoming Battle of the Sexes match in Dubai in a few weeks and shared a photo together anticipating the duel.

On the other hand, Zheng Qinwen featured as the star of a Vogue China photoshoot, teenager Joao Fonseca debuted a new shaved look following his promise at the Swiss Open, while Caroline Wozniacki and her family visited a New York Knicks NBA game.

Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka are gearing up for their highly anticipated return to the court in the "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match, set to take place on December 28th in Dubai. The intriguing exhibition duel will feature the female World No. 1 challenging the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up in his return to the court. The event is organized by Evolve, the representation agency for both players, which is owned by 4-time Major champion Naomi Osaka.

Both Kyrgios and Sabalenka shared publications on their social media channels, anticipating their appearance in Dubai to reignite the Battle of the Sexes—more than 50 years after Billie Jean King secured an epoch-making victory against former No. 1 Bobby Riggs in front of more than 90 million viewers. “I genuinely think that I’m going to win,” commented Sabalenka beforehand. “I’ll definitely go out there and I’ll try my best to kick his ass.”

The Tokyo 2024 gold medalist, Zheng Qinwen, shared photoshoots she participated in with Vogue China on her social media, following months where she has barely been able to step onto the court. The former Australian Open runner-up spent a good part of the 2025 season sidelined due to an injury that led her to undergo surgery shortly after her first-round elimination at Wimbledon against Kateřina Siniaková.

The former World No. 5 worked towards her return to the courts, which materialized three months later at the China Open, where she managed a win against Emiliana Arango but ended up retiring during her second-round match against the Czech Linda Nosková. Following that, Zheng withdrew from the rest of the season's tournaments and called her year finished, closing as World No. 24—far below her achievement a year prior when she finished inside the Top 5.

Caroline Wozniacki was seen courtside at the latest New York Knicks NBA game, alongside her husband, former basketball player David Lee, who played a large part of his career for the New York franchise. The former World No. 1 has been off the courts for a year after becoming pregnant and welcoming her third child—marking a new pause in her career.

The Dane had returned from retirement at the end of 2023—after three and a half years off the courts and having two children with her husband. Her comeback lasted about a year until she decided to take another break, announcing her pregnancy. Now with three children, Wozniacki has given no clear signs of whether she will return to professional tennis for a final time, or if her retirement will be finalized. The former Australian Open champion currently appears as an inactive player on the WTA website.

Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils are undoubtedly one of the most beloved couples on the Tour for their great sense of humor as a pair, something they constantly display on their social media. In a recent post, they starred in an Instagram reel dancing, transitioning from the tennis court to a dance venue with music, where both are seen having fun dancing.

Monfils is preparing for his retirement season at 39, having announced that he would end his career in 2026. His wife, Svitolina, ended 2025 plagued by injuries; while in direct competition for her return to the Top 10, she decided to end her season after a first-round loss at the US Open and did not compete in the final months of the Tour. Svitolina finished the year as World No. 14 despite months of absence, while Monfils—another player who faced injuries during the year—appears as No. 68.

Joao Fonseca fulfilled his promise from over a month ago regarding his haircut, debuting a bold new look in his training sessions. The 19-year-old Brazilian star lifted his first ATP 500 title at the Swiss Indoors at the end of October, defeating Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. This is also the second trophy of his career (after winning the Argentina Open earlier in the year).

At the tournament's award ceremony, Fonseca assured that he had made a promise to his team that if he won the title, he would shave his hair, something that came to fruition during the off-season. In photos seen on social media, Fonseca followed the style recently adopted by Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud, and shaved his head. The Basel title allowed Fonseca to finish the season as World No. 24—his best ranking so far—and he will arrive at the Australian Open as one of the seeded players.

Cameron Norrie enjoyed a few days off in his native South Africa, where he announced his engagement to his long-time partner, Louise Jacobi, a few days ago. The former Indian Wells champion took advantage of his vacation to have fun with his fiancée, family, and friends, traveling through South Africa before getting down to work for the 2026 season.

The Briton's first scheduled commitment is his participation in the 'Road to Australia' exhibition event in South America, where he will be the main star of a preparation event for the Australian Open, featuring players like Sebastián Báez, Christian Garín, and Emilio Nava.