Daily Dose of Social Media: Aryna Sabalenka’s Dubai days unplugged, Boulter and Hon laugh off announcer's introduction

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and Entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Aryna Sabalenka shared a video of her days in Dubai while enjoying the beach and maintaining intense training ahead of the WTA Finals.

On the other hand, there was a funny situation at the Japan Open during the court entry of Katie Boulter and Priscilla Hon. Serena Williams left a message for her fans expressing her concern about mental health, Dominic Thiem thanked his fans on his farewell, and more.

Sabalenka balances beach and training during Dubai downtime

Aryna Sabalenka is enjoying a few days in Dubai while maintaining her training for her final event of the year. The Belarusian shared a video compiling clips of her training on and off the court, while also enjoying the beach and the hotel’s amenities with her boyfriend.

Sabalenka is possibly in the best form of her career after reaching World No. 1. The 26-year-old won two Grand Slam titles this year and has won 20 of her last 21 matches, including titles at the Cincinnati Open, US Open, and Wuhan Open, which helped her dethrone Iga Swiatek from the top spot.

In her latest video, she is full of joy, laughing and having fun, while showcasing her powerful forehand on the court and her hard work in the gym. “A Dubai day in the life📍🗺️” she posted.

Read also

"See you in Malaga!": Iga Swiatek rejoins Poland's Billie Jean King Cup squad

Mix-up in Tokyo: Announcer confuses Boulter and Hon during court entry

An amusing situation unfolded during the first-round match of the Tokyo Open between Priscilla Hon and the 9th seed Katie Boulter on Centre Court. As the Brit entered the court, the announcer apparently mixed up the introduction cards or there was some confusion in the organization: "It’s Priscilla Hon, from Australia."

The announcer then realized the mistake and tried to correct it: "It’s Katie Boulter, making her way onto the court." Priscilla Hon, who was walking behind Boulter, also took the mix-up with good humour, as both players laughed while entering the court. In the end, Boulter won 6-1, 6-4 and advanced to the round of 16, where she will face local player Kyoka Okamura.

Jabeur enjoys Tunisia vacation

Ons Jabeur shared photos from her vacation in Zarzis, her hometown in Tunisia. The 3-time Grand Slam finalist was forced to end her season early due to a back injury that made her withdraw from both the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. Jabeur last competed at the Canadian Open in early August, where she suffered an early defeat to Naomi Osaka (3-6, 1-6).

The 30-year-old player has had her most inconsistent season since breaking into the top-30 in 2020. Currently ranked No. 41 in the WTA Race, she will finish the season at least at that position, or possibly lower depending on her competitors' results in the final weeks. Nonetheless, Jabeur is taking a well-deserved break before preparing for the 2025 season.

“Zarzis you have my heart ❤️Thank you @dar_oomi for making me feel like home ❤️What a beautiful Place 😍,” the former world No. 2 posted on Instagram.

Read also

Prize Money Pan Pacific Open 2024 with $922,573 on offer

Serena Williams shares advice on protecting your mental health

Serena Williams left some advice for her fans regarding mental health care. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has often expressed her concern about mental health on social media. In her most recent message, she tweeted: “I don’t know who needs to hear this (maybe no one), but if someone, even someone close to you, is robbing you of your joy, it’s okay to walk away.” A couple of hours later, she posted: “It’s ok that I go to bed at 8:30pm sometimes, right?”

Williams retired in August 2022 as one of the most successful tennis players of all time, with 23 Grand Slam titles (39 including women's doubles and mixed doubles), 319 weeks as world No. 1, four Olympic gold medals, and 73 WTA titles, among other achievements.

Serena Williams

@serenawilliams

·Follow

I don’t know who needs to hear this (maybe no one) but if someone, even someone close to you is robbing you of your joy it’s ok to walk away.

43.7K

Reply

Copy link

Read 705 replies

Serena Williams

@serenawilliams

·Follow

It’s ok that I go to bed at 8:30pm sometimes right?

24.5K

Reply

Copy link

Read 1.8K replies

Read also

Daily Dose of Social Media: Sabalenka's No. 1 message, Swiatek responds with training video

Thiem thanks fans for their support as he plays his last match

Tributes to Dominic Thiem continue after he played his final match at the Vienna Open. The former US Open champion announced a couple of months ago that he would retire at the end of the season, following several years of dealing with injuries and inconsistent performances, ending his career at just 31 years old.

Thiem ends his career with a total of 562 matches (348-214) and 17 titles, including the US Open, Indian Wells, and five ATP 500s. He also remained in the top 3 for 26 weeks, only behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. His 16 victories against members of the Big 3 also stand out.

Thiem bid farewell in front of his home crowd. First, with an exhibition match against Alexander Zverev, and then in the main draw of his home tournament, where he lost to Italian Lucian Darderi 6-7(6), 2-6, finishing his career. Tennis TV compiled some of the Austrian’s career highlights along with his final words: “Just a big thank you because the support over the years was really amazing, so many nice messages, so many nice words, so many nice matches as well with the fans where they created an unbelievable atmosphere,” he said.

Matteo Berrettini reacts to heartfelt fan letters

Matteo Berrettini reacted to letters sent by fans while participating in the Vienna Open. The Italian player surpassed the first round against Marton Fucsovics (7-5, 6-4) after two hours and will face a tough challenge against 5th seed Frances Tiafoe, who recently defeated Cameron Norrie.

The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up continues his journey back to the top ranks. He is currently world No. 41 and No. 38 in the Race. After Vienna, he only has the ATP 250 Metz Open left before concluding the season. “Oh wow, it’s a long letter,” he said at the beginning of the video. “What I wanted to say to you, Matteo, is that I hope you find everything you want and love,” he read.

“This sentence is just everything that I need in my life,” he commented. “The first match I watched of yours was a US Open semi-final,” he read from the second letter. “Ah, I lost that one against Rafa,” Berrettini laughed.