Carlos Alcaraz tees off with Jon Rahm; Roger Federer charms Shanghai crowd as Zheng Qinwen celebrates 23rd birthday

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, Carlos Alcaraz stole the spotlight, though this time not on the tennis courts, but on the golf course, starring in a promotional event with one of Spain's most prominent golfers. Separately, Roger Federer captured all the attention during his visit to Shanghai, where he participated in promotional activities for his brand, On.

Elsewhere, Aryna Sabalenka is the undisputed Queen of Wuhan, and she proved it with her return to the courts this Wednesday, a moment also captured on her social media. Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen celebrated her 23rd birthday while recovering from another setback due to elbow surgery, hoping for one last tournament before the year ends.

Carlos Alcaraz grabbed attention on social media after appearing in several photos and videos with his compatriot Jon Rahm—currently No. 73 in the international golf ranking—playing a few holes on the course while Carlitos is off the tennis courts for rest. The 6-time Grand Slam champion joined Rahm to promote the Spanish Open Pro-Am.

Alcaraz last stepped on the court at the Japan Open, where he won the title—defeating Taylor Fritz in the final. Although his presence was expected this week in Shanghai, the World No. 1 cited a left ankle injury to skip the tournament and return to Europe, focusing on the final part of the season. Alcaraz will return to the courts in about a week at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, which starts on Wednesday, October 15, where he will reunite with some of his great rivals, like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer is visiting Shanghai, participating in promotional activities for his brand On in the Chinese city. The 20-time Grand Slam champion captivated the local public amid his 'On thanks for playing' campaign, a perfect opportunity for Federer to pick up a racket again and hit tennis balls during the event, while thousands of people gathered to see the launch of On's campaign, Supporting Grassroots Tennis, and catch a glimpse of the Swiss Maestro, champon of three titles in Shanghai.

Federer told Forbes regarding his visit to Shanghai: “Shanghai has a special place in my heart, and to see the game thriving here is incredibly rewarding. Giving young players and the community access to good facilities is key to growing the game. The passion from everyone at the Xuhui District First Youth Amateur Sports School made this ‘On Thanks for Playing’ event truly special.”

Aryna Sabalenka celebrated her return to the courts this Wednesday, defeating Rebecca Šramková 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in her debut at the Wuhan Open 2025. The World No. 1 is the undisputed queen in Wuhan, holding an undefeated record of 18-0 and being the defending champion of the last three editions of the tournament (2018, 2019, 2024). The 4-time Grand Slam champion had to overcome a tough match against the Slovak but ultimately claimed the victory in what was her first appearance since winning the US Open title. Sabalenka will return to the court this Thursday against Russian Liudmila Samsonova in search of a spot in the quarterfinals and to maintain her unbeaten streak in Wuhan.

Zheng Qinwen celebrated her birthday while off the tennis courts due to injury. The 2024 Olympic Games gold medalist underwent elbow surgery three months ago and has played virtually no matches in the second half of the year. At Wimbledon—in early July—she fell in the first round, and shortly after announced she would undergo surgery and take time off the courts for a couple of months.

This forced Zheng to miss the entire North American swing, although she returned this week at the China Open, securing a debut victory against Emiliaina Arango. Unfortunately, it ended early for the former Australian Open runner-up, who had to retire mid-match in the third round against Linda Nosková in the third set, and subsequently withdrew from the Wuhan Open and Ningbo. Zheng still hopes to return to the court one more time this year, closing out the 2025 season at the Tokyo Open if she is physically fit.

Despite the setbacks, Zheng shared photos of her 23rd birthday celebration this Wednesday, October 8, and thanked fans and sponsors for the support received, as well as the large number of gifts. “Thanks to all my sponsors and all my fans for the flowers and gifts, never seen anything like this before. Let’s start my 23!!😚😚”