Daily Dose of Social Media: Djokovic's heroic welcome, Fernandez's doubles memories with sister Bianca
Tennis News
Today in
our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most important activities and
entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Novak Djokovic received an incredible welcome from thousands of fans upon his arrival in Serbia, alongside his country's Olympic athletes.
With the conclusion of the Canadian Open, Leylah Fernandez shared a brief interview on Instagram discussing her relationship with her sister Bianca and reminisced about their first partnership in the 2022 Canadian Open doubles. As the Cincinnati Open kicks off, Carlos Alcaraz and Paula Badosa posted photos of their preparations for the tournament.
Djokovic receives hero’s welcome in Serbia after gold medal win
Novak
Djokovic received a special welcome in Serbia with thousands of fans cheering
for him after winning the gold medal at Paris 2024. The 24-time Grand Slam
champion had only one title left to achieve—the Olympic gold medal—and he
secured it a week ago by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Nole
participated in a special reception at the Old Palace in Belgrade, where
Serbian athletes were warmly welcomed by fans, and Djokovic was one of the main
stars of the day. Nole received one of the biggest ovations of the event, which
also featured basketball player Nikola Jokic and other Serbian athletes.
Fernandez remembered Playing Doubles with sister Bianca in 2022
Leylah
Fernandez shared a brief interview from her time at the Canadian Open. The 2021
US Open runner-up was the main local star, despite an early exit in the Round
of 32 against Ashlyn Krueger, who came through the qualifiers. However, she had
a strong performance in the doubles draw.
Together
with her younger sister Bianca Fernandez, they formed a successful partnership,
thrilling the local crowd by reaching the semifinals and defeating the 5th
seeds Luisa Stefani and Demi Schuurs along the way. Unfortunately for the
Fernandez sisters, they were unable to overcome the top seeds Erin Routliffe
and Gabriela Dabrowski.
Before
starting their doubles campaign, Leylah reminisced about her partnership with
Bianca two years ago when they also played doubles after receiving a wildcard
and reached the Round of 16: “I played with Bianca and it was just so much fun,
we got our first win here, together as a team. Bianca played incredible. She is
a beast, I remember that. And she just took charge of the team too, so it was
fun.”
Badosa shares training photos ahead of Cincinnati Open debut
Paula
Badosa is preparing for her debut at the Cincinnati Open this Tuesday in the
first round against Peyton Stearns, who entered the draw with a wildcard from
the organizers. The Spaniard recently claimed the WTA 500 DC Open title after
defeating Marie Bouzkova in a thrilling three-set final just over a week ago.
After
winning the title, she traveled to the Canadian Open but fell in the second
round to 4th seed Jelena Ostapenko. Badosa hopes to regain her form in
Cincinnati and continue her upward trajectory in recent months, which has
allowed her to climb back into the top 40 after a challenging year. Badosa
shared photos from her latest training session in Cincinnati.
Alcaraz signs autographs in Cincinnati: A warm welcome from fans
Carlos
Alcaraz arrived at the Cincinnati Open to return to competition in his first
tournament after Paris 2024. The Spaniard reached the tournament final but
secured only the silver medal after falling to Novak Djokovic in the gold medal
match.
The 4-time
Grand Slam champion decided to take a few days off in Spain, skipping the
Canadian Open to recharge before the hardcourt swing. At the Cincinnati Open,
he must defend the points earned from reaching the final in 2023, where he also
suffered a defeat in the final against Djokovic.
A video on
social media shows Alcaraz’s first steps upon arriving in Cincinnati, where he
interacted with fans after his training session: “Guys, there are kids in
front, alright? Don’t push, alright?” Alcaraz said as he approached the crowd
of people and children to sign autographs. The Spaniard awaits his debut in the
second round against either Gael Monfils or Canadian Open finalist Alexei
Popyrin.
Rublev talks about his favorite food and admits to being a cartoon fan
Andrey
Rublev has had one of the best weeks of his season at the Canadian Open.
Despite experiencing some inconsistency in recent months, the Russian managed
to reach the final, including a victory over world No. 1 Jannik Sinner along
the way. Rublev mentioned the day before that one thing fans might not know
about him is that he can't cook, which led to more questions from the press.
“Yesterday,
you said that you cannot cook at all. And the fans are like, okay, we want to
cook for Andrey. If they were going to cook for you, what would you want them
to make?”
“I eat
everything, so I’m very simple,” the Russian replied with a laugh. “I mean, if,
let’s say, during the year, we take average. Which type of food do I eat the
most? It would be Japanese, probably.”
“The fans
also said that they knew you couldn’t cook, so they want something different,
something else they don’t know about you,” Rublev was asked.
“What else?
I still can watch cartoons,” commented the world No. 8 when asked about his
favorite. “I don’t know, some Disney when they’re coming in the cinema, I still
can watch them,” Rublev added.
Venus Williams hosts LA28 countdown celebration after Paris 2024
Venus
Williams participated in the launch event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic
Games. After the closing of Paris 2024 on Sunday, Venus Williams was one of the
hosts of the 'Countdown to LA28' celebration, which was broadcast in prime time
on NBC and Peacock.
Venus
Williams was one of the stars of the event, which also featured Billie Eilish,
Snoop Dogg, and H.E.R., among others. The 7-time Grand Slam champion later
shared some photos from the event, alongside Snoop Dogg, skateboarder Jagger
Eaton, and former American athlete Carl Lewis.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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