Alcaraz & Sinner share Korea memories; Gauff and Swiatek endure a bittersweet day, as Eala and Rune share positive updates

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the exhibition match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner was one of the highlights of the day, with both players taking to social media to share images from their participation and congratulate each other, as they continue preparations for the Australian Open.

Meanwhile, at the United Cup, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff delivered a thrilling encounter, with victory going to the American. However, just hours later, Poland secured qualification thanks to their success in the mixed doubles. Elsewhere, Alexandra Eala thanked fans for their support after a solid week in Auckland, where she reached the semi-finals of the ASB Classic, while Holger Rune shared an upbeat message on social media as he continues his recovery from a serious Achilles tendon injury.

Carlos Alcaraz celebrated on social media his victory at the Hyundai Super Card Match against Jannik Sinner — an exhibition match played in South Korea — which also carried a lucrative appearance fee for both players. The event marked their only on-court appearance ahead of the Australian Open. The Spaniard claimed the win 7–5, 7–6(6) and shared several photos on social media, writing: “Great way to start 2026, playing with Jannik in Korea! 🙌🏻 Thank you all for coming to watch us and for your love this week! 😍”

Jannik Sinner also took to social media to post snapshots from his time in Korea, following a closely contested exhibition match that serves as a preview of what’s to come at the Australian Open. The current world No. 2 faces the difficult task of defending his Australian Open crown, having won the title in 2024 and 2025, while also aiming to prevent Alcaraz from completing the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne. “Really happy to be back on court 🎾 Had a lot of fun today! Thanks Carlos for a great match and thanks to all the fans who came out to watch. See you very soon in Australia 🇦🇺”

One of the events that has captured the tennis world’s attention at the start of the season is the United Cup, featuring 18 countries competing with representatives from both the ATP and WTA Tours, playing singles and mixed doubles throughout the week.

On Saturday, the semi-finals were played, with USA and Poland once again meeting in a decisive clash, producing the first Swiatek–Gauff matchup of the season.

The American claimed a straight-sets victory, marking her fourth consecutive win over Swiatek, and later shared images from the match on social media. Although Poland eventually secured the tie thanks to the mixed doubles, Gauff can still celebrate a major personal victory over the six-time Grand Slam champion, one of her main rivals in the race for future major titles.

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek endured a bittersweet day — suffering a loss that could have been costly for Poland, but ultimately seeing her team advance to the United Cup final for the third consecutive year, thanks to a strong mixed doubles performance from Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zieliński.

The 24-year-old experienced a painful defeat, but strong team support, success in mixed doubles, and Hubert Hurkacz’s surprise win over Taylor Fritz earlier in the day left a positive overall outcome for Poland. Swiatek reflected on Instagram: “Challenging day for me today but some important lessons to be learned. I'm super grateful for my team and their passion. What a fight tonight! 🔥 See you in the final tomorrow with another chance. 😇”

Alexandra Eala celebrated a strong week in Auckland, despite falling in the semi-finals of the ASB Classic. The Filipina reached the semi-finals of a tournament for the third time in her career, before losing to seventh seed Xinyu Wang, narrowly missing out on a place in the final. Even so, the week confirmed her strong form and confidence heading into the 2026 season, and secured her a climb in the rankings to world No. 48, her highest ranking so far.

Eala now prepares for her Australian Open main-draw debut, after previously falling three times in qualifying. It will be her first appearance in the Melbourne main draw, offering a valuable opportunity to gain points and continue climbing the rankings during a period in which she is defending very few points.

Holger Rune appeared in a recent social media video showing a typical day in his rehabilitation process, as he returns to light on-court activity and begins hitting balls again. The former world No. 4 suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and underwent complex surgery two months ago, an injury that will keep him sidelined for several more months, with his return date still unknown.

Despite the severity of the injury, Rune remains positive about his recovery, saying: “I think I just… well, I know what I tell myself. When it gets tough sometimes, I just tell myself what is my dream and why I do this. Basically I love coming back to the practice courts every time I do it, no matter if it goes well or not.”