Daily Dose of Social Media: Murray humorous face mask post, Raducanu’s ‘summer time’

In today’s Daily Dose of Social Media, we spotlight key moments and entertainment from ATP and WTA stars. Andy Murray shared a funny photo on Instagram where he’s wearing a face mask, sparking comments from fans and some of his fellow players.

The 3-time Grand Slam champion shared a photo that sparked comments from fans. The recently retired player remains active on social media and posted a funny picture on his Instagram.

The former world No. 1 uploaded a photo wearing a face mask, which garnered over 80,000 likes and hundreds of comments from fans and some fellow players: “I knew retirement was going to hit me hard 😐” he captioned.

“More of this content pleaseeeeee 😂” commented former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, while Jelena Djokovic, Novak’s wife, responded with several laughing emojis, similar to the reaction of former world No. 5 Daniela Hantuchova.

Additionally, Murray shared a video on his Instagram stories today, showcasing his new hobby as a golfer.

Emma Raducanu shared photos on social media of her ‘summertime.’ The 2021 US Open champion last played in the DC Open, where she reached the quarterfinals and lost in a tight three-set match against Paula Badosa. The 21-year-old Brit climbed to world No. 70 after a strong performance at the start of the hardcourt swing.

Raducanu recently decided to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open qualifying and will return at Flushing Meadows, while enjoying some preparation time free from competition. Today, she shared some photos on Instagram from her recent ‘summertime’ days.

Nick Kyrgios continues his preparations for his return and shares gym photos. The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up has spent the last two seasons barely stepping on the court due to several injuries that have prevented him from competing on the Tour.

However, Kyrgios has set his sights on his return at the upcoming Ultimate Tennis Showdown, where he will be one of the stars in New York before the US Open. The exhibition event will take place on August 22 and 23 and will feature players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and Denis Shapovalov.

“If you don’t have people like me… who u gonna point the finger at?” captioned Nick Kyrgios.

Carlos Alcaraz shared a new mix of photos from his recent days at the Cincinnati Open. The 4-time Grand Slam champion will debut this Thursday in the second round of the tournament against Gael Monfils (No. 46), who recently defeated Alexei Popyrin (No. 23), the newly crowned Canadian Open champion.

The Spaniard is preparing for his first hardcourt tournament since Paris 2024, where he ended his participation with a silver medal in singles. Alcaraz is defending points from reaching the Cincinnati final last year. With Djokovic's absence, the World No. 2 has a good chance to climb the rankings, though he will need to reach at least the quarter-finals.

As he prepares to return to the courts, Alcaraz shared a set of photos from his early days in Cincinnati, showcasing his training and media activities at the tournament: “Remix of the last few days before I start tomorrow! 🤪💪🏻🔝”

Taylor Fritz and Brandon Nakashima were involved in a controversial moment during their Cincinnati Open match. The Americans had a tight encounter in the debut, with Nakashima securing the win against the 11th seed 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4).

A malfunction in the electronic call led to a ball that was clearly out not being called, resulting in an intense rally until the chair umpire called a let and decided to replay the point. This happened in the second set (2-2, 30-30) and disadvantaged Fritz, who complained about the situation to the chair umpire and later voiced his criticism on social media: “Imagine telling me I needed to stop the point when we have literal Hawkeye electronic line calling 😂”

Stan Wawrinka shared a short clip on Instagram as he prepares for his upcoming challenges. The 3-time Grand Slam champion last competed at the Gstaad Open in mid-July, where he was defeated in the first round by Lukas Klein.

This week, he dropped 37 positions in the ATP Ranking and, at 39 years old, will be ranked World No. 178 starting Monday, his lowest ranking since 2022, a year in which he barely competed due to injuries. The Swiss player has a 5-11 record in 2024, and his next challenge will be the US Open, where he received a wildcard.

With the first round of the Cincinnati Open concluding, the remaining seeded players are preparing to make their debut in the second round on Thursday. World No. 5 Jasmine Paolini will face Anastasia Potapova in her debut; the Russian secured a win against Clara Burel, while the Italian received a bye.

On the other hand, Leylah Fernandez made her debut on Wednesday against Yue Yuan and staged a comeback after three sets. On Thursday, she will face 4th seed Elena Rybakina, who returns to the courts for the first time since Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, Paolini and Fernandez shared videos of their intense training sessions on the hardcourts of Cincinnati. “It’s go time in Cincy 👀 @cincytennis Catch me 2nd match after 11AM ET on Court 10,” Leylah Fernandez captioned. “Getting ready in Cincinnati! 😀🎾,” Jasmine Paolini also posted.

World No. 14 Ben Shelton made a successful debut in the Cincinnati Open singles, overcoming a tough match against Reilly Opelka, who retired after two tie-breaks. The American No. 3 entered as the 12th seed and advanced to the second round, where he will face the winner between Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Matteo Arnaldi.

After the victory, Shelton shared photos of his debut on Cincinnati's Central Court and received comments from his compatriot Frances Tiafoe. Shelton captioned his post with a headphones emoji, prompting Tiafoe to respond: “Whatchu know bout afrobeats,” Tiafoe commented.

Shelton is also in the doubles draw with Sebastian Korda, and they will debut against doubles specialists Michael Venus and Neal Skupski. Meanwhile, Tiafoe defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets and is preparing to face Lorenzo Musetti, the recent bronze medalist from the Olympic Games, who advanced past Nicolas Jarry.