Daily Dose of Social Tennis Media: Navratilova fires back over Khalif comments as Auger-Aliassime receives hero's welcome

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most important activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Martina Navratilova addressed a backlash directed at her regarding comments on boxer Imane Khalif during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Navratilova defended her stance, sparking further debate on social media.

Fresh off winning a bronze medal at Paris 2024, Felix Auger-Aliassime received a spectacular welcome at the Canadian Open. The crowd celebrated his return, applauding his Olympic achievement. Alexander Bublik and Ben Shelton delivered the match point of the day in a light-hearted and entertaining conclusion to their first-round clash. The playful moment left both players and the audience in high spirits.

Daria Kasatkina shared a new video of "What the Vlog" on social media, a series of videos she has uploaded over the past year to her YouTube channel, showcasing details of her life on the WTA tour. Last week, the Russian was at the DC Open alongside several of the tour's top stars.

The world No. 12 had a disappointing first-round loss in the tournament to local player Caroline Dolehide (No. 46), quickly exiting the draw. Nevertheless, she took advantage of the days before for interviews and documenting her time with other players.

Featuring Victoria Azarenka, Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Paula Badosa, and Anna Kalinskaya, among others, Kasatkina asked the players for their impressions of the tournament and shared some behind-the-scenes moments of the WTA Tour. You can find the video here.

Martina Navratilova has been active on social media this past week, commenting on the controversy surrounding boxer Imane Khelif at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The gender of the Algerian athlete has been debated after Italian Angela Carini withdrew from their match.

It was speculated that Khelif might be a trans athlete, but the Olympic organization clarified that Khelif is a cisgender athlete with a condition of hyperandrogenism, which causes high levels of testosterone in her body.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova has defended the idea that Khelif should not compete in the same category as other women, which has sparked criticism against her. Recently, a user shared a photo of Navratilova from her professional days with the comment: “You attempted to misgender Imane Khelif, #Hypocrisy.” The former world No. 1 responded: “Here is another leftist trying to suggest I am a male. Nice try, buddy.”

Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 19) received an emotional welcome back to Canada after winning the bronze medal at the Olympic Games. The former world No. 6 reached the semifinals in singles but fell to Carlos Alcaraz. In the bronze medal match, he was defeated by Lorenzo Musetti, who secured the win in straight sets.

However, Auger-Aliassime remained in competition in mixed doubles alongside the experienced doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski. They had a strong campaign, reaching the semifinals but falling to eventual champions Tomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova.

After securing the bronze medal, he quickly traveled to Montreal to compete in the Canadian Open, where he will debut in the first round against Italian Flavio Cobolli. The Canadian received a special ovation in Montreal as he showcased his recent Olympic medal: "Felix Auger-Aliassime's homecoming in Montreal last night with his Olympic medal."

A popcorn match in the first round of the Canadian Open featured the 11th seed Ben Shelton against the talented Kazakh Alexander Bublik. The encounter filled the Center Court on Wednesday as spectators gathered to watch two of the most exciting players on the ATP Tour.

After a tight first set in Shelton's favor, the American gave his opponent few opportunities on serve in the second set. Although Bublik maintained a high level in the early part of the match, the second set quickly tilted in Shelton's favor, who secured the victory with a 7-6, 6-2 scoreline.

The match ended in a spectacular fashion for the spectators after a fun match point. Following a dropshot by Shelton, Bublik managed to reach the ball and hit it back over the net, but after a double bounce, surprising both players who laughed at Bublik's reaction, providing a memorable ending for the audience. The players concluded the match with a friendly hug.

Shelton and Bublik share a good relationship, and later, they teamed up for men's doubles against another notable partnership of Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper, in an interesting clash between players not usually seen in doubles.