Daily Dose of Social Media: Ash Barty surprises kids as Alcaraz enjoys beach break in Mallorca

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most important activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Carlos Alcaraz shared photos of his days off in Mallorca with his family as he prepares to travel for the US hardcourt swing.

Leylah Fernandez shared an emotional video of herself reading postcards she received from her fans, while Ashleigh Barty surprised Tennis Australia kids with an unexpected visit. Additionally, ATP stars participated in a fun video about the 'death of the one-handed backhand,' featuring Grigor Dimitrov, Stan Wawrinka, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and others.

Carlos Alcaraz shared photos of his days off in Mallorca before the American hardcourt swing. The recent Olympic silver medalist decided to take some time off in the middle of an exhausting season after participating in Paris 2024.

The Spaniard claimed the French Open and Wimbledon titles in recent months, although he fell in the Olympic final to Novak Djokovic, settling for the silver medal. Alcaraz opted out of the Canadian Open and will start competing in the Cincinnati Open on Monday.

However, he decided to take a few days of rest in Mallorca with his family and friends before traveling to the US. Alcaraz shared some photos on social media of his last days at the beach before heading to the start of the US Open Series.

Leylah Fernandez shared a video reading letters from her fans after a disappointing second-round defeat. The 2021 US Open runner-up was eliminated in singles by Ashlyn Krueger (4-6, 2-6), leaving the local crowd quickly without their main favourite in the singles draw.

The Canadian then played doubles with her younger sister Bianca Jolie Fernandez (20 years old) and secured a hard-fought victory against Americans Krueger and Catherine Harrison: “Yesterday’s singles loss felt horrible. I am very disappointed with how I played and left the court angry at myself. I didn’t know how I was going to put myself together and compete again in doubles,” Leylah Fernandez captioned on Instagram. “The truth is, my sister @biancajolietennis stepped it up for us. Our dad and coach gave her the green light to take the lead, and she did. I am so proud of her. That win was all her,” she added.

After the win, Fernandez read some of the postcards she received from her fans in recent days: “When I found out you were 21 like me, I was inspired. I hope to be an incredible athlete like you, you motivate me,” read one of the letters.

ATP stars participated in a fun video that depicts the "death of the one-handed backhand." Narrated by Grigor Dimitrov, the video features players like Stan Wawrinka, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lorenzo Musetti, and Dominic Thiem.

“Hey guys, as you might have heard already, the single-handed backhand is dead,” Grigor Dimitrov begins in the video. “Look, I loved that thing just like anyone else,” he adds, while clips of the main Tour stars using the one-handed backhand are shown.

The participants in the video humorously perform everyday tasks, now using both hands. Wawrinka throws darts with both hands, Tsitsipas brushes his teeth with both hands, and Dan Evans tries to drink beer using both hands. The amusing video was shared on ATP’s social media.

Roger Federer was the recent guest on Tennis Channel and featured in an intriguing interview published on social media. The Swiss legend shared his thoughts on "how Roddick could have beaten him at Wimbledon," which, according to Federer, could have completely changed the history of tennis.

“Andy is a great guy, he knows it. He’s the best, and I love his podcast as well. I want him to do commentating. He’s so fun to listen to, he’s so knowledgeable, and I always enjoyed having him around the Tour and stuff.”

Federer was asked if things would have been different for Roddick had he played with Wilson racquets (the American’s and Tennis Channel's sponsor): “I probably think he would have beaten me in the 2003 Wimbledon semis. And then what would have happened? I would have probably thought that I can’t win Wimbledon, and then I would never have won Wimbledon,” Federer said. “He could have changed all the history,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion added.

Simona Halep shared an encouraging photo about her return to the courts. The former world No. 1 has only played two tournaments since her doping ban was lifted due to injuries. The Romanian also does not have a ranking and requires wildcards to enter main draws, which has been another difficulty in accessing top tournaments.

The two-time Grand Slam champion updated her fans that she traveled to Italy to see a doctor who is helping her recover from her injury. Halep is pictured with the doctor on a tennis court: “A small update for my supporters: first of all, thank you for all the beautiful messages!!! I went to Italy on Mr. Dobre's recommendation to try to resolve the injury. It was a beneficial trip and I am very happy to have Mr. Dobre with me. Hope to be back on court soon,” she captioned.

Ashleigh Barty surprised the kids at Tennis Australia with an unexpected visit over two years after her retirement. The former world No. 1 took part in a special day alongside Evonne Goolagong at the Darwin International Tennis Centre: “We’re about to walk out onto Centre Court and surprise the kids. They don’t know I’m here yet; they’ve spent a little bit of time with Evonne over the last couple of days, so I’m excited to go out there and see them,” she said.

Once she arrived on the court, she was greeted by an ovation from the surprised children, who then had the chance to spend time with the 3-time Grand Slam champion. Barty shared a few words with them, and later took photos with the kids and the Australian Open trophy.