Daily Dose of Social Media: Gauff, Alcaraz and more shine in AI-generated Studio Ghibli animations, Ons Jabeur teases new WTA series

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, ATP and WTA stars shone in the animated photo trend created with AI in the Studio Ghibli style. Players like Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jack Draper were among those featured in the photos shared by Tennis Channel.

On the other hand, Andrey Rublev appeared in his first training session with former world No. 1 Marat Safin, while Carlos Alcaraz had a heartwarming moment with a fan over 90 years old who attended to watch him in Murcia.

ATP and WTA stars appeared in the latest viral trend on social media, featured in AI-generated animations in the style of Studio Ghibli. A post shared by Tennis Channel showcased major stars such as Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Mirra Andreeva, and Jack Draper. The post garnered over 16,000 likes, although not all comments agreed with the use of the players' photos in this controversial trend, which has sparked debate due to the significant energy and water consumption required to create these types of images.

Andrey Rublev appears in first training images with coach Marat Safin ahead of clay swing. Recently, Rublev announced his partnership with former world No. 1 Marat Safin as his new coach, after frequently praising Safin's influence in helping him cope with mental health struggles.

The Russian had an inconsistent clay swing in 2024, suffering first-round exits at the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open before bouncing back to claim the Madrid Open title—his second Masters 1000 crown, alongside Monte Carlo 2023. He then only managed to reach the third round in both the Rome Open and Roland Garros.

Now, Rublev aims to reaffirm why he is considered one of the best clay-court players. With Safin's guidance, he hopes to reclaim his place among the elite, as he has been on the verge of dropping out of the top 10.

Ons Jabeur stars in a fun WTA video promoting a new social media segment called "What’s going Ons?!" The three-time Grand Slam finalist led the promotional clip.

“Our sport is facing an incredible crisis. Every day, tennis players are stuck in the same routine,” she said at the beginning of the video. “The good news is that I’m one of the most likeable players on the Tour,” joked the former world No. 2.

Jabeur recently suffered a leg injury while competing at the Miami Open, where she reached the third round but was forced to retire mid-match against world No. 6 Jasmine Paolini, trailing 3-4. She has not provided further updates on her condition, but her return is scheduled in two weeks for the Stuttgart Open qualifying, followed by the Madrid Open—where she is the 27th seed and previously won the title in 2022.

Zheng Qinwen graced the cover of the prestigious fashion magazine W Magazine China. The gold medalist from the Paris 2024 Olympics continues to steal the spotlight off the tennis courts, just days after being featured on the cover of Vogue in the U.S. Zheng has become one of the most marketable players recently, following her final appearance at the 2024 Australian Open, her gold medal at Paris 2024, and several titles that helped her reach world No. 5 by the end of last year.

She has recently had a consistent run at the Indian Wells and Miami Open, reaching the quarterfinals in both, but was stopped by Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka, respectively. During the clay swing, she aims to maintain her strong form and find greater consistency. As the Olympic champion in 2024 on the clay courts of Roland Garros, Zheng is emerging as one of the favorites for major titles in the coming months.

Carlos Alcaraz shared a heartwarming moment during his training session in Murcia ahead of the clay-swing. The Spanish player had a special fan following his training in his hometown. The world No. 3 is aiming to regain his top form on a surface where he is a favorite, as the defending champion of the French Open in a few months. He will seek to bounce back at Monte-Carlo with his first major title of the year, although he will not have Juan Carlos Ferrero by his side in Monaco, as Ferrero steps down from coaching duties. Samu Lopez, who worked with Alcaraz during the Middle East swing, will take over instead.

During Alcaraz's training session, he met with a 95-year-old fan who arrived early at the Murcia Tennis Academy to watch the 4-time Grand Slam champion up close. "Everything's going well. I see you at dawn and at any time. At 95 years old, I’ve been watching you since you started," she said.