Daily Dose of Social Media: Badosa and Tsitsipas trade tennis for pickleball

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we take a look at some of the best moments from the latest action as Indian Wells reaches its final stages. Andre Agassi made a surprise appearance at the Phoenix Challenger for the coin toss, while Mirra Andreeva caught everyone’s attention by using her notebook during the semifinal match against Iga Swiatek.

Meanwhile, pickleball continues to make waves after a video surfaced of Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas playing mixed doubles. Additionally, Eugenie Bouchard travelled with Jack Sock to a PTPA pickleball event, where they improvised a mini pickleball court on the plane.

Andre Agassi made a special appearance at the coin toss for the Phoenix Challenger 175 quarter-final between Brazil’s Joao Fonseca and France’s Hugo Gaston. The former world No. 1 was the guest of honour for the pre-match ceremony, which ended with the 18-year-old sensation claiming a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

In the semi-finals, Fonseca will face an exciting challenge against Japan’s former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori. The Japanese player turned pro in 2007 when Fonseca was just one year old.

Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas teamed up for a mixed doubles match — but this time on a pickleball court. The tennis couple is preparing for the Miami Open next week, and while warming up, they appeared in a social media video having fun together.

Tsitsipas recently exited in the fourth round of Indian Wells, falling to Denmark’s Holger Rune. On the other hand, Badosa withdrew from the tournament at the last minute after failing to fully recover from a back injury. However, she’s now back on the court, and all signs suggest she’ll be fit to compete in Miami.

Mirra Andreeva found herself in the spotlight during her thrilling Indian Wells semi-final against Iga Swiatek, as the teenager was repeatedly seen with a notebook during changeovers. According to social media reports, the notebook contained names of her past opponents and notes on how to face each player.

The 17-year-old, coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, proved she’s more than just skill — she thoroughly studies her rivals. Swiatek herself has previously been seen using a notebook during changeovers to jot down observations, but this was the first time Andreeva’s similar technique caught public attention.

Eugenie Bouchard shared a hilarious video with former world No. 8 Jack Sock, as the two tennis stars — who have ventured into pickleball with the PPA Tour — turned a flight into their personal playground. The duo passed the time mid-air by improvising a mini pickleball court using the plane’s foldable tray tables.

The former Wimbledon finalist has balanced her tennis career with appearances in the PPA Tour over the past year. Bouchard made her professional pickleball debut in 2023 and recently switched teams, moving from the New Jersey 5s to the Flames, with Meghan Dizon going in the opposite direction.

This new chapter sees Bouchard teaming up with former tennis pro and three-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jack Sock, adding excitement to the Flames’ roster.

Naomi Osaka shared a series of photos after her time at Indian Wells, where she suffered a disappointing first-round exit, falling to Camila Osorio and making an early departure from the tournament she won in 2018. The four-time Grand Slam champion is leaving the tough losses behind, posting pictures of her outfits featuring Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, and Dior pieces.

The former world No. 1 will have her next challenge at the Miami Open, wrapping up her run at the Sunshine Double. Osaka recently admitted that the match against Osorio was "the worst of her life" and clarified that her struggles weren’t due to injury:

"First of all, I’m not injured. I feel really good, which I guess is a positive. Secondly, it feels really weird because I think I did well in Australia. It’s like stopping and starting all over again. It would have been really helpful to play more matches at this tournament, but obviously, I couldn’t. The same thing happened with my tennis today — there were things that weren’t quite right because I only started practising my serve after a certain period and things like that. I think, given the situation, it wasn’t that terrible, but I would have loved to win and keep playing the tournament."