Carlos Alcaraz,
Jannik Sinner, Rafael Nadal and more. In our
Daily Dose of Social Media, we review
some of the highlights from the ATP and WTA, as well as the day’s
Entertainment
moments.
Alcaraz answered questions from some of his colleagues in a new ATP Tour video. Jannik Sinner,
Novak Djokovic and
Casper Ruud were among those who asked Alcaraz all sorts of questions, including the most important match point of his career, his golf dream team and the secret to his incredible dropshots.
Rafael Nadal was the guest of honor at an event in Spain for his latest public appearance.
Elina Svitolina celebrated her birthday with a special invitation from the First Lady of Ukraine, while Zheng Qinwen is already training in Beijing two weeks ahead of the China Open.
Sinner and Djokovic quiz Alcaraz in fun ATP Tour video
Carlos
Alcaraz answered a few questions from his fellow players in the latest social
media video for the ATP Tour. With the participation of Jannik Sinner, Novak
Djokovic,
Daniil Medvedev, and others, they asked questions to the 4-time Grand
Slam champion about his incredible level of play, his training, and his most
memorable moments.
"How
can you perform your drop shots in this beautiful way?" asked World No. 1
Jannik Sinner.
"In
this beautiful way? I've been practicing the dropshot since I was seven, eight
years old. So it's been so many hours on it, that’s why," Alcaraz
responded with a smile.
Casper Ruud
asked about his dream foursome in golf, who would be in it. Both players have
shared time on the golf course several times, though Alcaraz didn’t choose his
Norwegian colleague. "If I have to choose a tennis player, I would choose
Rafa Nadal. So, sorry Casper," Alcaraz commented.
You can
watch the rest of the video, where Daniil Medvedev,
Grigor Dimitrov, Holger
Rune, and
Alex De Minaur join in with questions and answers for Alcaraz.
Svitolina
Marks 30th Birthday by Addressing Ukrainian Children's Deportation Crisis
Former
world No. 3 Elina Svitolina enjoyed a special birthday after being invited by
Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, to discuss the issue of Ukrainian
children’s deportation amid the ongoing war in her country.
Svitolina
has been a vocal advocate regarding the war, actively supporting and visiting
her homeland whenever she finds time. On her 30th birthday, she participated in
an event organized by Zelenska, where she delivered one of the keynote speeches
of the day.
The 2021
Olympic bronze medalist expressed her gratitude on social media for the
invitation to such a meaningful event: “I am deeply grateful to First Lady
@olenazelenska_official for the invitation and the opportunity to address the
crucial problems of the deportation of Ukrainian children,” Svitolina wrote on
her Instagram account.
“As a
Ukrainian professional athlete, I wish I could tell you about our sporting
achievements, future plans, and how we want to develop and promote sports in
Ukraine. But today I am not in a position to talk about it. The great tragedy
makes all this impossible because without children, there is no future. No plan
would work, and no dream would come true...”
Local hero Zheng
Qinwen begins training for China Open
New photos
on social media show Zheng Qinwen already training in Beijing for the upcoming
WTA 1000 China Open. The local player will make her debut between September 27
and 28 and will be the 7th seed. Zheng was welcomed as a hero upon her arrival
in China, after winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games against Donna
Vekic.
Her last
appearance was at the US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals but was
defeated by eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka. The 21-year-old will be the
local hope for a tournament that has never seen a Chinese player in the final.
Former Australian Open champion Li Na had the best local performances, reaching
the semifinals in 2010 and 2012.
The
tournament will be crucial for Zheng’s goal of finishing the year in the top
10, while she competes for a spot in the WTA Finals. In the Race, she is
currently in 9th place and needs to reach at least 7th, considering that the
8th qualifier will be Barbora Krejcikova as the Wimbledon champion. Zheng
is just under 500 points behind Emma Navarro.
Sinner and
Kalinskaya enjoy New York night
New photos
of Jannik Sinner and
Anna Kalinskaya have emerged in New York after the Italian
secured his second Grand Slam title at the US Open. The world No. 1 is rarely
seen publicly with his girlfriend Kalinskaya, but social media has shared
images of the couple enjoying a night out in New York.
Kalinskaya
will face her next challenge at the WTA 1000 Beijing Open, where she will be
the 14th seed, while her boyfriend Sinner will also make his return in Beijing,
with both the men's and women's draws taking place simultaneously. The men's
tournament is an ATP 500, featuring an impressive entry list with five players
in the top 6 (six in the top 10).
Nadal Makes
appearance for building launch after Laver Cup withdrawal
Rafael
Nadal made a return to Spain for the launch of a new "Movistar"
building. The former world No. 1 was the guest of honour at the event for one
of his main sponsors. Also present was Carolina Marin, the renowned Spanish
badminton player, gold medalist at the Olympic Games, and three-time World
Champion.
The 22-time
Grand Slam champion recently announced his withdrawal from the Laver Cup, which
will take place next week. Nadal acknowledged that he does not feel physically
well enough and will be replaced by Grigor Dimitrov.
Fritz picks his wingman and reveals locker room banter in ATP Q&A
Taylor
Fritz selects his wingman in ATP Tour Questions and Answers. The American No. 1
recently reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open but fell in straight
sets to an unstoppable Jannik Sinner.
Despite
this, Fritz can draw positive conclusions from his time at Flushing Meadows,
having achieved his highest ranking of the season as world No. 7 and
positioning himself comfortably in the ATP Race for a potential spot in the ATP
Finals.
In a fun
video, Fritz chose the biggest trash talkers: “Not a lot of people. In the
locker room, I feel like me, Ben (Shelton), and Frances (Tiafoe). We’re like,
give it to each other. It’s playful though, you know,” said the 26-year-old.
Check out the rest of Taylor Fritz's Q&A session.