Daily Dose of Social Media: ATP Stars pranked in Montreal, Alcaraz and Berrettini practice in Cincinnati

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most important activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini trained together as they prepare to debut at the Cincinnati Open starting on Monday, August 12.

The ATP stars were pranked in an elevator during the Canadian Open. Players like Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, Holger Rune, and Jannik Sinner, among others, were surprised with a fun prank in the elevator, which was shared on Tennis TV's social media.

Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini were the stars of a practice session together at the Cincinnati Open. The 4-time Grand Slam champion returns to competition after winning the silver medal in Paris 2024 and is preparing for the hardcourt swing alongside the Italian.

Alcaraz is defending the final he reached last year in Cincinnati, where he lost to Novak Djokovic, who will not be present to defend his title this time. The Spaniard will debut against a player from the qualifiers and today was practicing with a potential third-round opponent: Matteo Berrettini.

The Italian received a wildcard to enter the main draw but had a tough draw, being paired with 15th seed Holger Rune in the first round. The former world No. 6 is on a streak of 10 consecutive wins, having secured titles in Gstaad and Kitzbühel, and has returned to the top 50 after two years.

A new ATP video shows players at the Montreal Open being pranked in elevators. The players were caught on hidden cameras as they entered an elevator transformed into a completely unusual setting.

For example, Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner stepped into an elevator designed as a spa, with Ruud even offering a massage to a man inside the ‘spa’. On the other hand, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Arthur Fils were surprised to find a chef cooking inside the elevator, while Andrey Rublev and Alejandro Tabilo simply encountered a man sitting on a toilet. Other stars who appeared in the video included Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Grigor Dimitrov.

Jannik Sinner shared some moments on social media after his run at the Canadian Open. The World No. 1 couldn't defend the title he won in 2023, falling in the quarterfinals to Andrey Rublev (3-6, 6-1, 2-6). The Italian had a busy Saturday, as earlier that day he had defeated Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets.

After being eliminated in Montreal, Sinner quickly headed to Cincinnati, where he faces a new challenge starting Monday at the next Masters 1000 of the season. Sinner acknowledged in Canada that he hadn't shown his best form and that he still doesn't feel at 100%, but he will try to give his all again at the Cincinnati Open.

The Italian shared some photos on social media from his days in Montreal, including a shoutout to Jack Draper, with whom he competed in the doubles draw, although they decided to withdraw in the quarterfinals: “Leaving Montreal. Results don’t always go your way. Some positives to take and I start again in Cincinnati next week. Cheers. @jackdraper0 . That was good fun.”

Peyton Stearns had one of the best weeks of her career by reaching the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 for the first time. The world No. 53 secured victories over Anna Blinkova, Madison Keys, and Victoria Azarenka along the way but was eventually eliminated after falling to defending champion Jessica Pegula in straight sets.

Nevertheless, the young American can take positive lessons from her participation in the Toronto Open. Stearns will rise to world No. 46 and will arrive at the Cincinnati Open with a strong sense of confidence. She received a wild card for the tournament and will debut against Spain's Paula Badosa.

The 22-year-old shared a photo on social media after her elimination from the tournament, joking about her seriousness on the court. "To all y’all who say I don’t smile on court…” captioned the American star.

Andrey Rublev revealed something about himself that many might not know in a recent ATP video. The Russian is currently in the semifinals of the Canadian Open after securing an incredible victory over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in three sets. Rublev will face Italian Matteo Arnaldi this afternoon for a spot in the final.

“What people don’t know about me is that I have no idea how to cook and I’ve never cooked in my life. Maybe I tried when I was seven or six, and that’s it. My career in cooking was over very fast,” he said in the ATP video.

One comment humorously poked fun at Rublev’s confession, referencing his recent win against Sinner: “He’s lying, he cooked Sinner yesterday,” commented a fan about Rublev's victory over the defending champion on Saturday.