Daily Dose of Social Media: Jackie Chan and Kesha at Madison Keys' Australian Open victory, Sabalenka laughs off post-defeat frustration

The Australian Open women's final featured a stunning victory by Madison Keys over Aryna Sabalenka, where the defending champion transitioned from frustration to humour in the most notable moments, which we highlight in a new Daily Dose of Social Media.

Stars like Jackie Chan and Kesha attended the title clash, while Ash Barty met with F1 driver Oscar Piastri, who was also present during the final days at Melbourne Park. Meanwhile, Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka updated fans about their time off the court as they prepare for their comebacks.

Jackie Chan atars at Australian Open women's final 

Jackie Chan was one of the stars at the Australian Open women’s final, where he met Aryna Sabalenka at Rod Laver Arena for a photo session and chat before Sabalenka faced Madison Keys for the title. The legendary Hollywood actor also spent a few minutes with Alexander Zverev when they unexpectedly ran into each other in the Melbourne Park hallways.

Despite the presence of the talented Hong Kong actor, Sabalenka fell in three sets to Keys, ending her 20-match winning streak at the Aussie Open. Tonight, Zverev will attempt to break Jannik Sinner’s streak in the final. Although the German is not the favourite, we have already seen the women’s champion fall to a dark horse. Can Zverev break Sinner’s streak?

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Kesha enjoys the Aussie Open and shares her admiration for Sabalenka

Singer Kesha was also present at the Australian Open women’s final, supporting Sabalenka against Keys. She also introduced herself as the headliner for a show at Melbourne Park alongside international artists like Benson Boone, DJ Kaytranada, and Arman Van Helden.

"I’m loving this, I’ve never been to the Aussie Open," said Kesha upon her arrival.

When asked who she’d like to meet on the court, Kesha responded, “I really want to meet Aryna (Sabalenka), she’s a badass.”

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Ash Barty and Oscar Piastri meet at Australian Open

Former world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty met F1 driver Oscar Piastri during the Australian Open events. Both were ambassadors for Mastercard, one of the tournament’s sponsors, and were seen at Melbourne Park where they took part in a discussion about their experiences at the highest level of professional sport. Piastri was also present at the tournament’s semifinals with his girlfriend Lily Zneimer when Jannik Sinner defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets.

Barty marks three years since her last match as a professional, when she won her third Grand Slam title, defeating Danielle Collins in the 2022 Australian Open final. The Australian tennis legend broke a 44-year drought without local champions, and a couple of months later, she announced her retirement at just 25 years old, being the undisputed world No. 1.

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Aryna Sabalenka smashes her racquet, leaves the court before ceremony in tears after crushing Australian Open Final loss

Sabalenka jokes about her team after loss: "I really hate you"

Sabalenka's defeat was unexpected for most, after a remarkable run through the tournament, a streak of 20 consecutive wins at Melbourne Park, and being the clear favorite against 19th seed Madison Keys. However, the American pulled off a surprise – yet another one in the tournament – capturing her first major title with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory.

Sabalenka was clearly frustrated after the loss, leaving the court before the on-court ceremony and smashing her racquet following the agonizing defeat. Despite this, she showed great attitude during her speech, even joking about her team's role in the loss."Should I say anything to my team?," she said as she looked at them giving heart symbols to her. As always, that's your fault guys,” she said.

“I don't want to see you for the next week. I really hate you,” Sabalenka added. No anyway, thank you so much for everything you do for me and blah, blah, blah. I think we did our best, just Madison was playing incredible. I couldn't do anything in this match ... and of course, sending love to my team. Anyway, I love you. Even though we lost."

Sabalenka managed to cope well with the frustration of her defeat at the Australian Open and thanked the crowd on her social media for another great year in Melbourne. The Belarusian lost her crown but remains comfortably in the No. 1 spot in the world, especially after Iga Swiatek's loss in the semifinals. Sabalenka will have to leave the bitter defeat behind and will return to the courts during the Middle East swing in Doha and Dubai.

“What a start to the new year and new season 🇦🇺🫶🏼 Although it’s not the result I wanted, I’m excited to keep working and come back even stronger. Australia, thank you for your hospitality these past two weeks. The atmosphere you create for me every match makes me feel right at home and I couldn’t do any of this without you! To my team, I’ll speak to you in a week… 😉”

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Azarenka enjoys time with her horses after Australian Open exit

Victoria Azarenka is enjoying her days off after her early exit at the Australian Open, indulging in one of her greatest passions outside the courts: her horses. In a series of photos and videos, the former world No. 1 is seen pampering her horses, feeding them, cleaning them, and riding them, while speaking to them with affection.

"Vichka" took some time off after her first-round exit at Melbourne Park against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti, which caused her to drop several places in the rankings, moving from No. 21 to No. 29. Azarenka will face her next challenge at the Qatar Open starting on February 17, which means more than a month between tournaments.

"My happy place. Slide to see my best effort at getting a horse to listen to me 😅," posted the Belarusian player.

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Halep returns to training, gears up for comeback at Romania

Simona Halep is back to training as she prepares for her return to the courts in two weeks at her home Transylvania Open, which will be held in Bucharest from February 3 to 9. The former world No. 1 received a wildcard for the tournament, which she has won twice: in its inaugural edition in 2014, defeating Roberta Vinci, and then in 2016 against Anastasija Sevastova.Halep was expected to play in the Australian Open qualifiers, but an injury forced her to withdraw before the tournament began, despite having also received a wildcard. The Romanian is still determined to return to the top of the Tour, and Cluj will be a great opportunity to gain competitive matches and earn important points in the WTA ranking, while she remains world No. 868.

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