Daily Dose of Social Media: Birthday twins Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka enjoy Rome celebrations

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were the protagonists of the day as they celebrated their birthdays while preparing for the Rome Open. Both multiple Grand Slam champions turned another year older this Monday, May 5th.

On the other hand, Coco Gauff joined the rising Italian star Tyra Grant at the tournament draw ceremony, held at the "Fontana di Trevi" in the Italian capital. Additionally, Paula Badosa provided good news with her return to the courts, while Zheng Qinwen was pure joy during a day of tennis clinic for children.

Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 22nd birthday this Monday, May 5th, while preparing to debut at the Rome Open. The 4-time Grand Slam champion seeks to improve his 2024 result, in which he reached the quarterfinals – losing to X – after having won the title twice (2022, 2023). The world No. 3 received a birthday cake as a gift after his morning training session in the Italian capital.

The Spaniard also received a special greeting from his friend he made in Australia, John Jones, the child who stole the spotlight at the Australian Open when he showed his excitement participating in the coin toss and then joyfully met with the Spaniard backstage. The Australian boy left a message on social media for Alcaraz. “Win or lose, you’re always happy. Just like me. You are an inspiration to kids all over the world. And since is your party: ‘Alcaraz party, Alcaraz party’” he said while singing and dancing.

Also celebrating her birthday on the same date is 3-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka, recent champion of the Madrid Open, who participated in a video promoting a tequila bottle as part of her celebrations. The Belarusian won the Madrid final last Saturday against Coco Gauff, winning her third title in the Spanish capital and increasing her lead as world No. 1 over the rest of her pursuers in the WTA ranking. In any case, Aryna Sabalenka did not skip training today and was seen active from the morning hitting with her team at the Tennis Club Pariolini in Rome.

Coco Gauff and Tyra Grant were at a promotional event for the Rome Open, with the main draw decidded, where both visited the ‘Fontana di Trevi’ and made a wish by throwing a coin into the traditional fountain of the Italian capital. American world No. 3 reached the final of the Madrid Open last Saturday but ended up falling to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. On the other hand, Grant is beginning to gain visibility on the Tour after receiving a wildcard from the tournament organization. The 17-year-old is tipped as one of the stars of the future, with great results on the junior circuit. Grant, whose mother is Italian and father is American, recently decided to stop representing the USA and as of this Monday officially becomes a representative of the Europeans. Having just turned 17, she is ranked world No. 316 and is the 5th youngest player under 18 in the WTA ranking.

Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa has provided an encouraging update on her recovery, sharing images of herself training on the courts of the Rome Masters 1000. After being sidelined for over 40 days due to a back injury that forced her withdrawal from the Miami Open and subsequently the Madrid Open, Badosa appears to be nearing her return to competition, marking her first potential appearance on clay this season.

Badosa's last match was a hard-fought victory against Clara Tauson in Miami, after which a shifted disc herniation affecting a nerve prevented her participation in tournaments in Charleston, Stuttgart, and Madrid. However, her recent social media post from the Foro Italico, featuring training footage and positive messaging, suggests a significant improvement in her condition. She was also seen practicing with her friend Ons Jabeur.

If deemed fit to compete in the Rome Open, Badosa, seeded ninth, will receive a first-round bye. Her opening match would be against the winner of the first-round encounter between Italian Sara Errani and Japan's Naomi Osaka.

Zheng Qinwen is looking forward to her return to the courts this week at the Rome Open after a disappointing first-round exit at the Madrid Open against Anastasia Potapova. However, she appeared in great spirits this Monday in Rome as she was the star of a tennis clinic with young children ahead of the tournament's start.

The Chinese player has achieved some good results this year, including quarterfinals at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, but has yet to consistently contend with the top players for major titles. Nevertheless, she has shown her capabilities on clay courts, as demonstrated by her gold medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, held at Roland Garros, where she defeated the 4-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek en route.