Daily Dose of Social Media: Badosa and Tsitsipas share romantic video, Machac steals the show against Sinner

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the top activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa shared a romantic video after reviving their joint Instagram account. On the court, Tomas Machac stole the show with his jokes during the match against Jannik Sinner, while Novak Djokovic expressed his gratitude for the support from Chinese fans. Check out another day of social media highlights among the stars of the Tour.

Czech Tomas Machac caused a surprise at the Shanghai Masters by reaching his first Masters 1000 semifinal, including a victory over 4-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz. This time, the challenge was Jannik Sinner, who, with Roger Federer watching from the stands, claimed the victory 6-4, 7-5.

Machac was in good spirits during the match against Sinner and even joked with the crowd. While Sinner was preparing to serve and the stadium was silent, a spectator shouted, "We love you, Roger," which made the crowd laugh. Machac responded by looking at the stands and saying, "What about me?" which triggered even more laughter and applause from the audience.

It wasn't the only moment Machac joked, as later in the second set, with the score at 4-5, the Czech went to change his racquet after breaking a string. "Too fast! The rallies are too fast, the racquet is broken," he said to Sinner, laughing. The Italian, not fully understanding his opponent’s words, replied, "Oh, sorry," while smiling.

A few weeks ago, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas reactivated their joint Instagram account "Tsitsiidosa," where they share photos of their relationship with fans. The two tennis players revealed their relationship a year ago through this account, although they deleted all their posts just a few days later.

After reactivating their joint social media account, they shared a video compiling photos of their relationship, both on and off the court, asking the question, “What’s a soulmate?” “It’s like a best friend but more; it’s the one person in the world who knows you better than anyone else, someone who makes you a better person,” a voiceover in the video said. “A soulmate is a best friend but more—it is the person whose love transcends all ❤️,” the video was captioned.

Zheng Qinwen is the trendiest player on the WTA tour, especially during the Asian Swing. While the Chinese player has been making headlines since last season, her gold medal at Paris 2024 a few months ago elevated her to superstar status in China. Combined with her impressive results in recent months, Chinese fans flocked to support the world No. 7 at the China Open and Wuhan Open.

Recently, the new campaign featuring Zheng for Vogue China was announced. The 22-year-old became the first athlete—male or female—to grace the cover of the popular magazine. 'Queen Wen' also starred in a photoshoot showcasing modern outfits that highlight elements of Chinese culture.

Zheng reached the final of the Wuhan Open this Saturday after defeating her compatriot Wang Xinyu, becoming the first local player to reach the final of the tournament. On Sunday, she will aim for the title against Aryna Sabalenka and seek her first WTA 1000 title, hoping to overturn her negative record against the Belarusian of 0-3.

Several ATP stars participated in a new video during the Shanghai Masters, where they attempted to guess their Chinese zodiac signs. A few weeks ago, it was the WTA stars' turn, and now it was the men's turn, featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, and Alexander Zverev.

“I like zodiac signs; I was interested in oriental signs too,” commented Stefanos Tsitsipas at the beginning of the video. “I’m the Year of the Tiger,” said the 1998-born player. “Fierce, competitive—just like in life—competitive, strong. That’s exactly me.”

“I think I’m a snake,” responded world No. 1 Sinner. “Wise, intuitive, and mysterious,” they mentioned about the characteristics of the snake in the Chinese zodiac. “It’s quite accurate, actually,” replied the Italian. You can find the rest of the players' responses in the video shared on ATP's social media.

Novak Djokovic thanked the support of Chinese fans in a social media video as he prepares for the final of the Shanghai Masters against Jannik Sinner. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is the tournament's all-time winner with four titles and shared some highlights of his journey through the tournament this week.

“I’m looking forward to coming and experiencing all the energy and support that I’ve been getting from Chinese fans,” Djokovic mentions at the start of the video during an interview at the beginning of the tournament. “I’ve had plenty of success here, and hopefully, that previous experience and the memories I have can help me do well this year as well.”

On Saturday, he defeated Taylor Fritz in straight sets, securing his fifth final in the tournament. The Serbian is looking for his first ATP title of the season as he faces world No. 1 Sinner. Djokovic leads the head-to-head 4-3 (1-0 in finals).

Sebastian Korda reveals recent elbow surgery and confirmed the end of his season. The American had been enjoying great results in recent months, including a title at the DC Open and semifinals at the Canadian Open, which allowed him to reach the top 15 for the first time in his career.

Korda had been suffering from elbow issues for some time, which had kept him out for a good part of the 2023 season. The current world No. 19 last played at the US Open at the end of August, where he was defeated in the second round by Czech Tomas Machac.

In a photo posted on Instagram, Korda provided updates to fans about his current health status, showing his arm in a cast while lying in a clinic bed after the surgery. “I wanted to update you all—I’ve been dealing with some elbow issues, and my team and I decided surgery was the best option. Everything went great, and I can’t wait to be back on court soon. Thanks for all your support! 🙏❤️,” he captioned.