Daily Dose Of social Media: Nadal receives jersey from Mbappe, Swiatek jokes after tough loss

Monday, 19 August 2024 at 23:30

In today’s Daily Dose of Social Media, we spotlight key moments and entertainment from ATP and WTA stars. Rafael Nadal closely supported Real Madrid’s debut in Spain, and a social media video reveals that Kylian Mbappe gifted him his shirt in the locker room.

Iga Swiatek joked on social media following her tough loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals. Additionally, ATP and WTA players took on a new fun challenge with a “Medicine Ball Bowling Challenge.”

Nadal receives Mbappé’s jersey

Rafael Nadal was the special guest at Real Madrid’s debut in La Liga against RCD Mallorca. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was in the locker room supporting the team he is a fan of and had a meeting with two of the club's star players.

The former World No. 1 recently announced that he would not be at the US Open, and the only confirmed tournament for him in the coming weeks is his return to the Laver Cup, where he will be part of Team Europe alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

A video shared on social media shows Nadal greeting Real Madrid’s star Jude Bellingham, while Kylian Mbappé, the 2018 World Cup champion and the club’s main signing this season, gifted his jersey to the legendary Spanish tennis player.

Ria

@itsjudithworld

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Jude Bellingham & Rafa Nadal 🤍

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Swiatek jokes about daytime visibility after Cincinnati semi-final loss

Iga Swiatek joked on social media following her semifinal defeat at the Cincinnati Open. The world No. 1 responded to a post from the X page “Out of Context Iga Swiatek,” which shared an old photo of her at the United Cup, where she was watching her compatriot Hubert Hurkacz play against German Alexander Zverev.

In the photo, Swiatek is shown with edited glasses and the caption: “Me trying to see the ball during the day matches in Cincy,” poking fun at the difficulty of following the ball in daytime broadcasts at Cincinnati. Swiatek replied to the post: “Yeah. Yesterday me too,” she wrote, a day after suffering a painful loss in the semifinals to Sabalenka, 6-3, 6-3.

Iga Świątek

@iga_swiatek

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Replying to @SwiatekOOC

Yeah. Yesterday me too 🫠

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Naomi Osaka arrives at US Open and joins fans at the start of Fan Day

Naomi Osaka has arrived at the US Open and is already interacting with fans as the Fan Days kick off. The Japanese star didn’t achieve the best results in her recent tournaments, being eliminated in the second round of the Canadian Open by Elise Mertens and then losing in the Cincinnati Open qualifiers to Ashlyn Krueger.

However, Osaka remains a name to watch at the US Open, where she claimed two of her Grand Slam titles in 2018 and 2020. Currently ranked World No. 90, she received a wildcard from the organizers to compete in the main draw and is one of the top female stars in the tournament.

The US Open’s social media shared a video of the former World No. 1 interacting with her fans, signing autographs, and taking photos at Flushing Meadows, as she prepares to play in one of her favorite tournaments.

ATP and WTA Stars roll into action: "Medicine ball bowling challenge"

ATP and WTA stars took part in a new social media game, the “Medicine Ball Bowling Challenge.” With standout performances from Jannik Sinner, Grigor Dimitrov, and Iga Swiatek, they tried to knock down improvised ‘bowling pins’ made from tennis ball cans.

Among those who didn’t fare as well in the game were Zheng Qinwen and Frances Tiafoe, while the big winners were Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. You can check out the players’ performances in this bowling challenge in the video shared on ATP and WTA social media.

Hurkacz’s emotional message after injury: "See you at US Open"

Hubert Hurkacz shared an emotional message following his participation in the Cincinnati Open. The Polish player sustained an injury during his quarter-final match against Frances Tiafoe, where the American was leading 6-3. The world No. 7 could not finish the match, raising concerns about his potential participation in the US Open, which starts in just one week.

However, Hurkacz delivered good news on social media, thanking fans for their support in Cincinnati and announcing that he will return to the court at the US Open, dispelling doubts about his physical condition.

Hubert Hurkacz

@HubertHurkacz

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Bye and thank you Cincy. 🙏 Faced some challenges but that’s all part of the journey. See you at the @usopen 💪 Cincinnati, dziękuję i do zobaczenia! 🙏 Zmierzyłem się z wyzwaniami, ale to wszystko część mojej drogi. Widzimy się na US Open. 📸T. Wagner @atptour @CincyTennis

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Azarenka Reacts to Resurfaced Collins-Swiatek Drama

Victoria Azarenka responded to a tweet by journalist Bastien Fachan, which revived the controversy between Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek. The American made sharp comments against Swiatek during the last Olympic Games after their quarterfinal match.

"I told Iga she didn't have to be insincere about, you know, my injury," Collins commented at the time. "There's a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma who come out and are one way on camera and another way in the locker room,” she added.

Everything seemed to have been left behind. However, journalist Bastien Fachan joked about it, posting on X a photo of Collins smiling, precisely as Sabalenka was dominating Swiatek in the Cincinnati semifinals: "Danielle Collins at home watching this like," he captioned with Collins' smiley face.

Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka reposted the tweet and asked: "Why would she be sitting at home like that?" Some fans explained the situation to Azarenka, while others assumed that Vichka simply wanted to leave the supposed drama behind.