Daily Dose of Social Media: Alcaraz quotes "300" after Rome victory, Ibrahimovic courtside to back Jannik Sinner

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, tennis player Carlos Alcaraz left a peculiar signature on the television broadcast camera at the Rome Open after his victory, referencing the movie ‘300’, while Jannik Sinner was supported by none other than legendary footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

On the other hand, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner had an encounter with Jasmine Paolini in the hallways of the Foro Italico and congratulated his compatriot after she reached the semifinals of the tournament, becoming the first Italian woman to reach that stage since Sara Errani.

Carlos Alcaraz secured another victory at the Rome Open, after overcoming the 23rd seed Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in a tight match. The Spaniard arrives with a 12-1 record on clay courts for his quarterfinal duel against Jack Draper, seeking to avenge his Indian Wells semifinal loss, which ended in a British victory.

After taking the victory, the Spaniard went to the traditional signing of the television broadcast camera, leaving a particular message, in reference to the movie 300, which tells the story of the Spartan King Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors. "Arrows will hide the sun. But we will fight in the shade," wrote the Spaniard after the two-and-a-half-hour triumph, in a reference to the lines of King Leonidas that portray the fight and courage of one despite the adversities that lie ahead.

"In the second set, I lost concentration and he started to play very well. I am proud of how I fought until the end in the third, the match was very tough," he assured. Now the Spanish warrior will have another tough battle ahead against Jack Draper (5th) in search of a place in the semifinals.

Jasmine Paolini staged an epic comeback in the women's quarterfinals against Diana Shnaider. Despite being down 6-7 and a discouraging 0-4, the Italian tennis player, spurred on by the fervor of the local crowd, managed to turn the score around and seal her passage to the semifinals with a vibrant 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. Now, Paolini awaits her opponent between Elina Svitolina and Peyton Stearns.

After her heroic victory, on her way to the locker rooms, Paolini crossed paths with her compatriot Jannik Sinner, who was scheduled to step onto the center court right after to face Francisco Cerundolo. However, the rain made its appearance, postponing the matches. Despite the delay, Sinner and Paolini shared a smiling greeting when they met in the hallways of the Foro Italico.

Paolini thus becomes the first Italian woman to reach the semifinals in Rome since Sara Errani's feat eleven years ago. Meanwhile, Sinner took to the court shortly after and secured a victory by 7-6(2), 6-3, eliminating Francisco Cerundolo.

Aryna Sabalenka shared a series of photos from her days at the Rome Open, although this time not on the courts, but strolling through some of the main attractions offered by the Italian capital. The world No. 1 continues to be in incredible form with 9 consecutive wins, after reaching the quarterfinals of the Rome Open. The Belarusian defeated Anastasia Potapova, Sofia Kenin (31st seed), and Marta Kostyuk on her way. In the quarterfinals, she will face a very familiar rival: China's Zheng Qinwen, whom she has defeated in all 6 of their previous encounters.

The ATP and WTA stars chose who they would pick as a coach among all their colleagues. With the participation of Mirra Andreeva, Holger Rune, Madison Keys, Andrey Rublev, and Aryna Sabalenka, the most repeated option among the players was the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

That wasn't the only decision the players had to make, as they were also subjected in a round of questions and answers to whom they would choose as a social media account manager, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff as the main picks due to their strong presence on social media.

The legendary Swedish former footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, retired since 2023, attended the Rome Open as a spectator to support Jannik Sinner in his match against Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo. "Today we are here to cheer for Sinner, tomorrow he will be with us to cheer for Milan. We are ready, prepared, and it's game on." AC Milan director Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in Rome for the Coppa Italia final between Milan and Bologna, attended the Internazionali BNL d'Italia and spoke live on Sky Sport about tennis and football: "Sinner is very good, he can grow even more and has shown that he is a champion, now he must show consistency. The Coppa Italia final? We are ready and prepared."

Regarding his visit to Rome, Ibrahimovic also had words of support for his friend Novak Djokovic, whom he has supported on more than one occasion, even though Nole did not participate in the tournament this time. "It's always beautiful to be here and see great champions, to be here and enjoy it." Then Ibra also spoke about Djokovic: "He will surely win another Slam: it's a mental question. Knowing him, mentally he is very strong and has shown and will continue to show it."