Daily Dose of Social Media: Aryna Sabalenka's dance moves light up Aussie Open, Andreeva and Raducanu shares Melbourne memories

"The Australian Open is about to wrap up, with the men's and women's finalists determined. In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner have some fun with their teams before stepping out to defend their 2024 Melbourne titles.

Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu and Mirra Andreeva shared some memories from their tournament journey, while Zheng Qinwen sent a special greeting to fans during the Chinese New Year celebrations."

Sabalenka's Dance: The World No. 1 shows her joyful side before the final

Aryna Sabalenka once again displayed her joyful personality off the court in a video from the Stretch Up Zone at Melbourne Park, where she was seen dancing and singing alongside her team while doing warm-up exercises. The atmosphere in the world No. 1’s team was full of joy, as Sabalenka reached her third consecutive Australian Open final and aims to emulate Martina Hingis with three titles in a row in Melbourne.

Sabalenka recently defeated Spanish close friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals and will face American Madison Keys on Saturday night. Keys reached her second major final after an epic third-set tie-break win over Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian leads the head-to-head 4-1 and is the favourite to claim her fourth major title.

Andreeva and Raducanu’s Melbourne memoirs: A look back at the Aussie Open

With the Australian Open nearing its end, some players reflected on their time in Melbourne, feeling positive and optimistic for the rest of the season. World No. 15 Mirra Andreeva made it to the fourth round of the Aussie Open but was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka in a match where she struggled to cope with the Belarusian's power. However, Andreeva left a message with a collection of photos from her time in Melbourne, also featuring her doubles partner Diana Shnaider and her coach, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez. “That’s a wrap on AO25!🥰 Sorry everyone but I had to post some of these:))🫢”

Another player who shared a message for her fans was 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who posted a carousel of photos from her time in Melbourne. The Brit reached the third round of the tournament but was convincingly defeated by five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek (6-1, 6-0). Nonetheless, Raducanu achieved strong results in her early matches, with victories over notable opponents such as Ekaterina Alexandrova (26th seed) and Amanda Anisimova.

“Home for almost 1/12th of 2025. Loved spending my spare time roaming the book shops and cafes nearby,” Raducanu wrote. “3 weeks ago we were doing pool rehab, so I’m grateful to be in a position to build on from AO. Bye Melbourne🩵 @airbnb #airbnbpartner” she posted alongside the pictures.

Zheng Qinwen celebrates Chinese New Year with stylish Nike campaign

Zheng Qinwen made a return after her second-round elimination at the Australian Open, wishing fans a Happy Chinese New Year. The Paris 2024 gold medalist has become one of the biggest commercial successes in women’s tennis and one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. She was recently featured in a Nike campaign for China, where she posed in several brand photos while wishing her fans around the world a Happy Chinese New Year.

Zheng was surprisingly eliminated by German Laura Siegemund in the second round of the Australian Open. The 21-year-old was one of the favourites, defending her points from reaching last year’s final, which could result in a drop in the rankings to No. 7 (or No. 8 if Madison Keys wins the title this Saturday).

Sinner’s F1 Fun: Golf cart ride at Melbourne Park

Jannik Sinner caught attention on social media with a fun video worthy of F1, where he was seen driving one of the ‘golf carts’ used to transport players around Melbourne Park. Though it’s usually the Australian Open staff that drives players around the venue, this time it was the Italian who decided to take the wheel while laughing and transporting his coach, Australian Darren Cahill.

The World No. 1 advanced to the tournament final on Friday, aiming to defend his title. Sinner extended his winning streak to 20 consecutive matches since last season, and 13 consecutive wins in Melbourne after defeating Ben Shelton in straight sets. He will face Germany's Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday, following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal during their match.

The F1 was also present during Sinner's semifinal match against Shelton. The Italian is known for being a loyal F1 fan and has often been seen meeting with drivers and attending F1 events when his schedule permits. This time, Sinner had special spectators, including former Aussie driver Mark Webber and current McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.

Liverpool Stars Darwin Núñez & Alisson Becker share their tennis passion

Liverpool footballers Darwin Núñez and Alisson Becker have revealed that tennis is their second favourite sport. The Uruguayan forward and Brazilian goalkeeper took part in a Q&A session, where they confessed their love for tennis off the field, with Becker even mentioning that he would have pursued a career in tennis if he hadn’t been a footballer.

“I like tennis and F1, whenever I can, or when we’re not playing, I take the time to watch F1 or tennis because it’s also a beautiful sport, very physical, a lot of technique,” said Darwin Núñez.

“My favourite sport, after football obviously, is tennis,” said goalkeeper Alisson. “I really enjoy watching matches, especially between the great champions, some of whom are retired, like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. It’s a sport I love, and if it weren’t for football, it’s a sport I would have dedicated myself to.”

Serbian fans rally behind Djokovic after surprising retirement

The surprising retirement of Novak Djokovic during his match against Alexander Zverev stole the spotlight on Friday morning during the men's Australian Open semifinals. The 24-time Grand Slam champion played a high-intensity first set against the German, who claimed the set 7-5(5) after an unforced error from Djokovic at the net. The Serbian quickly approached Zverev to say his goodbyes before his withdrawal, leaving the crowd puzzled as Nole didn't seem to have any apparent mobility issues.

Despite some boos from the audience, the 10-time Australian Open champion received unwavering support from his Serbian fans, who gathered at Melbourne Park to show their continued loyalty to the greatest champion in history. Djokovic left it unclear whether he would return to compete in the tournament, amid concerns over his health status.

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