Today in
our
Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and
entertainment from ATP and WTA players.
Aryna Sabalenka and
Jannik Sinner were
crowned champions at the Wuhan Open and Shanghai Masters, respectively, and
celebrated their new success on social media while both continue to enjoy the
best year of their careers.
At the same
time,
Roger Federer was the special guest at the final between Sinner and
Djokovic, sharing the stands with none other than
Carlos Alcaraz and former
world No. 1
Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Legend meets
prodigy: Federer and Alcaraz share moments at Shanghai
Roger
Federer has been a special guest in recent days at the Shanghai Masters, a
tournament where he claimed the title three times. The 20-time Grand Slam
champion was the guest of honor during the final between Djokovic and Sinner,
although he wasn't alone, as he was seated next to young Spanish star Carlos
Alcaraz, who had been eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz had
been in good form in China, especially after winning the title in Beijing a
week earlier (defeating Sinner in the final). However, in the quarterfinals of
Shanghai, he was surprised by Tomas Machac, preventing a semifinal rematch
between Sinner and Alcaraz. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old Spaniard decided to
stay a few more days in Shanghai as he prepares for the Six Kings Slam, and he
was seen in the stands with his coach, former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero,
and Roger Federer himself.
Sinner
celebrates Shanghai Masters win with a video selfie: “The trophy is here!”
Jannik
Sinner claimed the Shanghai Masters title after defeating Novak Djokovic
7-6(4), 6-3, marking his 7th title of the season. The World No. 1 shared a few
words on the tournament's official social media after his victory: “The trophy
is here, it’s been an amazing week. Now it’s also raining after the match, so
I’m very happy that we finished the match. The crowd has been amazing, see you
already next year. Ciao ciao,” said the Italian.
With
several weeks left in the season, Sinner has already secured the year-end World
No. 1 spot and recorded his 65th victory of the year. The Italian had little
trouble overcoming Djokovic and securing the 17th title of his career.
A few
challenges still remain for Sinner, who has already secured finishing the year
as World No. 1, but he is still chasing a couple of titles before closing out
the season. First, he will stop at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi
Arabia, before continuing with his commitments on the tour at the Paris Masters
and then the ATP Finals in Turin. Finally, he will travel to Malaga to compete
in the Davis Cup, aiming to defend the title won in 2023. They will face
Argentina in the quarterfinals.
Sabalenka celebrates
third consecutive Wuhan title
Aryna
Sabalenka celebrated her title win at the Wuhan Open after defeating local
player Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The world No. 2 has won 20 of her last 21
matches, with titles in Cincinnati Open, US Open, and now Wuhan, putting her
just steps away from reaching the top of the WTA rankings and dethroning Iga
Swiatek as the season comes to a close.
The
Belarusian extended her head-to-head lead against Zheng to 4-0, although the
Chinese player managed to take a set off Sabalenka for the first time. The
26-year-old has had an incredible end to the season, with only the WTA Finals
remaining, which begin on November 2.
Sabalenka
shared her excitement on social media after claiming her third consecutive
Wuhan title. The Belarusian is the undisputed queen of Wuhan, with three titles
and an undefeated 17-0 record.
Medvedev goes
left-handed: A fun showdown with ball kids
Daniil
Medvedev had fun playing with his left hand against a group of ball kids at the
Shanghai Masters. The Russian tennis player was the star of the latest ATP
video, where ten kids who have served as ball kids at the tournament challenged
him all at once in an entertaining match. The world No. 5 was in great spirits
with the kids, sharing a fun match, taking photos, and joking with the young
fans.
“I think
it’s gonna be terrible for me, but let’s see. It’s going to be fun,” Medvedev
commented at the beginning of the video. “I have no idea if I’m going to make
it,” he said while getting ready to serve with his left hand for the first
time, as the ten ball kids waited on the other side of the net.
“If they
hit to my backhand it’s over,” mentioned the former US Open champion in between
points. “Now I go ‘Rafa’ style… hey banana,” joked Medvedev while making a
gesture with his racket emulating Nadal’s famous banana shot.