Anisimova joins ‘Sabadosa’ in Brisbane dancing, Kyrgios makes his comeback as Auger-Aliassime sets the tone in Sydney

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media the 2026 season is already heating up as the tennis world settles into Australia for the opening swing of the year. From Brisbane to Sydney, the biggest names on the WTA and ATP Tours are making noise both on and off the court, blending competition, comebacks and lighter social moments that quickly went viral.

In today’s edition, we highlight Aryna Sabalenka’s viral dance alongside Paula Badosa and Amanda Anisimova in Brisbane, Badosa’s long-awaited return to competition — including a doubles reunion with the world No.1 — Anisimova’s personal message ahead of her season debut, Félix Auger-Aliassime’s dominant start with Team Canada at the United Cup, Nick Kyrgios’ emotional comeback in doubles, and a reflective message from Gabriela Dabrowski after a career-defining year.

Aryna Sabalenka shared a light-hearted video dancing on social media alongside Paula Badosa and Amanda Anisimova. The three players are in Brisbane for their first tournament of the year, where the world No.1 returns as defending champion and officially begins her Australian swing in preparation for the Australian Open.

For Badosa, Brisbane marks an important return to the courts after a long recovery from a complicated injury that has sidelined her since Wimbledon in the middle of last season. The Spaniard played just one tournament in the past six months and will be looking to collect early wins to rebuild confidence and avoid a sharp drop in the rankings.

Anisimova, meanwhile, surprised fans by joining Sabalenka in the viral dance and arrives in Brisbane under new circumstances as the second seed. The American also has a chance to climb as high as world No.3 and become the American No.1, with Coco Gauff in a tight early-season race — the two are separated by just five points.

With the draw already underway and several first-round matches completed, Badosa will open against Czech Marie Bouzkova, Sabalenka awaits the winner between Anna Bondar and Cristina Bucsa, while Anisimova will face the winner of Kimberly Birrell (WC) and Rebecca Sramkova (Q).

Singles is not the only focus this week, as Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka teamed up in doubles — the popular pairing known as “Sabadosa.” The duo already made their debut together and opened with a win over Shuai Zhang and Liudmila Samsonova, edging both sets in tie-breaks.

Badosa shared a photo on social media following the successful partnership with the world No.1, thanking Sabalenka as they now await their second-round match against Ellen Perez and Cristina Bucsa. “Prefer to have you on my side of the court… 🤣 First win of the year with @arynasabalenka 👑🙌 Sabadosa is back 💖”

Amanda Anisimova also posted a more personal message, this time celebrating her sister Maria’s birthday. Maria was Amanda’s first inspiration to pursue tennis, having competed at collegiate level for the University of Pennsylvania. The world No.4 is still waiting for her Brisbane debut, which will be her only warm-up tournament ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year.

“I have, like, a great team with me, and just my family and friends. They were supporting me throughout the whole year, and I think that was the most important thing. And then, just being able to excel in my career and have the achievements that I did were that extra cherry on top for me,” the two-time Grand Slam runner-up said upon arriving in Brisbane.

Anisimova will look to improve on her best Australian Open results, where she has reached the fourth round on three occasions (2019, 2022, 2024).

Félix Auger-Aliassime is competing in Sydney at the United Cup with Team Canada, who opened the tournament with a commanding 3–0 victory and are already closing in on qualification for the quarterfinals.

The world No.5 partnered with Victoria Mboko — with both players winning their singles matches — before teaming up again in mixed doubles, where they dropped just four games in a dominant win over Team China.

Auger-Aliassime opened his campaign with a win over Zhizhen Zhang and now awaits his second match against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, scheduled for Tuesday, January 6. A single win in the tie would be enough to send Canada through to the next round.

“Not many better ways to kick off the year than with a clean sweep with the team 🇨🇦 Let’s go Canada ❤️🙌🏽”

Nick Kyrgios is back on court, competing in doubles alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis in his first official match of the season. The Australians — former Australian Open doubles champions — played an emotional encounter, ultimately deciding the match in a third-set tie-break against the former doubles world No.1 pairing of Matthew Ebden and Rajeev Ram.

It also marked Kokkinakis’ return after a year away from competition, with his last tournament being the 2025 Australian Open. He underwent pectoral surgery and took the remainder of the year to recover. Kyrgios is still awaiting his singles debut, where he will face American Alexander Kovacevic on Tuesday.

Canadian doubles star Gabriela Dabrowski shared a heartfelt reflection following an outstanding 2025 season, finishing the year inside the top 10 and capturing three titles alongside partner Erin Routliffe. The 33-year-old former doubles world No.3 also claimed her second US Open title, adding to the one she won in 2023 with the same partner.

“2025, you were a hell of a year. Comfort zones were pushed, patience was tested, adaptations were necessary, and pivoting became the new norm. But through it all: the best support system a girl could ask for. Thank you for your strength and kindness, but most importantly thank you for creating unforgettable memories that are forever embedded into the fabric of my being.”