Daily Dose of Social Media: Nadal or Djokovic? Cristiano Ronaldo's hilarious dilemma in YouTube clip

In today’s Daily Dose of Social Media, we spotlight key moments and entertainment from ATP and WTA stars. Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo broke records with his YouTube debut and shared a video where he had to choose between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Find out his response in today’s review of the highlights.

The 5-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo surprised his followers with his new YouTube channel, which quickly broke records by surpassing one million subscribers in just an hour.

In one of the 18 videos the Portuguese star uploaded shortly after launching his YouTube channel, Ronaldo selected his favorite sports and idols by pointing at their images. However, when it came time to choose between Djokovic and Nadal, he smiled, closed his eyes, and pointed to the middle, without choosing either of the two.

Nick Kyrgios shared a heartfelt message following his return to the court alongside Naomi Osaka. The Australian has been absent from the tour for a long time due to injuries, but his full comeback seems increasingly imminent. The former Wimbledon runner-up teamed up with Osaka for mixed doubles at the Mixed Doubles Madness during the Fan Week at the US Open.

Kyrgios is part of Osaka’s Evolve agency and has a strong bond with the four-time Grand Slam champion. They co-own the Miami Pickleball Club and appeared in Lakers jerseys to honor Kobe Bryant, receiving a warm reception. After the touching day, Kyrgios posted on social media, paying tribute to Osaka:

"Two people that have had completely different journeys… through negativity, injuries, and whatever is thrown our way… we continue to write more chapters… Tag someone that you’d love to play doubles with on the biggest stadiums in the world👑🐍”

The 2009 champion was a special guest at Novak Djokovic’s practice on Tuesday at the US Open. Del Potro, who retired in 2022 after suffering a right knee injury—a fractured kneecap—hasn’t completely distanced himself from the sport. In fact, he will play in the mixed doubles legends event alongside his compatriot Gabriela Sabatini.

Today, the surprise was that the Argentine entered the stadium with Djokovic for the training session and received an ovation from the crowd. Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Del Potro 16-4, although the Argentine handed him some painful defeats, such as at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games or in the 2011 Davis Cup semifinals.

During practice, both players joked around; at one point, they were asked: “Was winning the gold medal your greatest achievement?”

“My greatest success ever was beating Juan Martin del Potro in the final of US Open in 2018,” Djokovic said.

“My biggest success was beating you in Rio, responded Del Potro.

“And in London! Delpo is my nemesis at the Olympic Games. He’s been my slayer.”

During the US Open Fan Week, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas emerged victorious in the Mixed Madness exhibition tournament, which also featured pairs like Coco Gauff with Ben Shelton, Amanda Anisimova with Taylor Fritz, and Naomi Osaka with Nick Kyrgios.

After securing the trophy, the pair participated in a lighthearted interview shared on social media. They were asked what job they thought their partner would have if they weren't a tennis player. Tsitsipas was the first to respond: “Fashion Designer? It wouldn’t be women’s fashion; it would be more men’s fashion, I would say.” Badosa added: “Photographer, he’s very creative, so maybe something… he loves views, landscapes.”

They were then asked which celebrity or athlete they thought could be turned into a great tennis player, and both chose legends from other sports. “Michael Jordan, he’s an incredible athlete, no?” the Greek responded, while the Spaniard opted for a football star: “For me, Cristiano Ronaldo,” she said.

The video was shared on the US Open’s social media channels along with content creator Sohobrody.

Rafael Nadal shared a photo of himself back in training after deciding to skip the US Open. The Spanish player had an early exit in the second round of the Olympic Games and reached the quarter-finals in doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. Following his Olympic participation, Nadal announced he would not play in the final Grand Slam of the year.

Amidst speculation about his potential retirement, Nadal posted a photo of his return to training as he prepares for the Laver Cup, the only tournament confirmed on his schedule. The 22-time Grand Slam champion shared the image from the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca.

The 2021 US Open champion has begun her training at Flushing Meadows, aiming for her first victory since winning the title. Raducanu suffered a first-round defeat in 2022 against [Opponent] and missed the 2023 tournament due to wrist injuries that kept her out for a large part of the season.

Now in a renewed state of fitness, Raducanu has an 18-11 record this season and recently reached world No. 71, continuing her climb up the rankings. The former world No. 10 last played at the DC Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual champion, Paula Badosa. Raducanu then chose to skip the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, presumably to avoid playing in the qualifiers, so she will make her US Open debut with only one hardcourt tournament under her belt this summer.

Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz played a round of golf together in New York. Back in 2022, Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title by defeating Ruud in the US Open final. As they both prepare for another edition of the tournament, they took the opportunity to relax with a game of golf.

Both Ruud and Alcaraz have previously expressed their love for golf, with the Norwegian being especially enthusiastic. The 25-year-old shared a photo from their golf day, which also included former world No. 1 and Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero