Daily Dose of Social Media: Sinner and Kalinskaya share a moment at Australian Open, Alcaraz imitates Nadal's iconic ritual

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we revisit the hilarious moment between Novak Djokovic and Zheng Qinwen during the mixed doubles match featuring the Paris 2024 gold medalists, as well as the presentation of the trophies by defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner.

On the practice courts, Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina were hitting together, while Sinner and Anna Kalinskaya met on the Rod Laver Arena. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz drew attention by performing Rafael Nadal's iconic water bottle ritual from his career.

Sinner and Sabalenka unveil their Australian Open trophies

Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner took centre stage this Thursday at Melbourne Park, where they received a warm welcome as they presented their 2023 Australian Open trophies. Both players participated in the morning draw ceremony, where they discovered their paths in the quest to defend their titles.

Neither had much luck with the draw, facing tough opponents in the first round. Sinner will make his debut against the challenging Nicolas Jarry, while Aryna Sabalenka is set to face former US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Both defending champions are scheduled for the night sessions on Monday and Tuesday at the Rod Laver Arena.

Sinner and Kalinskaya reunite at Australian Open

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was spotted with Anna Kalinskaya at the Australian Open, sharing a photo of a hug on Centre Court. Instagram users began speculating whether the tennis players are still a couple or just friends, as they hadn’t been seen together publicly during the off-season.

During pre-season training, Sinner was spotted in Dubai, Monaco, and Italy, while Kalinskaya shared photos on social media from her vacation in Russia followed by pre-season work in Miami. There is no clarity regarding their relationship status, as both made it clear a year ago that they prefer to keep their relationship private. Neither has publicly addressed a possible breakup or confirmed if they are still dating.

Laughter echoes as Djokovic’s tactics confuse Zheng in exhibition match

A fun mixed doubles exhibition titled "A Night with Novak" took place on Wednesday night, featuring 2024 Paris gold medalists Novak Djokovic and Zheng Qinwen teaming up against former World No. 1s and Grand Slam champions Victoria Azarenka and Andy Murray.

The match, more about entertainment than fierce competition, had all four players wearing microphones, allowing the crowd to hear their on-court exchanges and commentary. At one point, as Zheng prepared to serve, Djokovic humorously began gesturing rapidly behind her, attempting to explain a complex tactic.

- "Where do I go?" asked WTA World No. 5 Zheng.

- "Let’s go i-formation. You go here first serve, if you miss, you go here, then I go this first serve, and if you miss, then I go here and there," Novak replied, speaking rapidly while making quick hand movements, leaving Zheng looking puzzled.

- "What does that mean?" Zheng asked with a smile. "I don’t know what that means."

- "Don’t tell me I need to repeat that," joked Djokovic before attempting the explanation again.

- “That means I go to the body, and then you go—you go to catch up,” replied Zheng, trying to make sense of it. "Shhhh…" Djokovic hushed her with a playful gesture as the audience erupted in laughter.

Sabalenka and Rybakina share the court

A high-level training session took place today at John Cain Arena featuring two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The Belarusian and Kazakh players last faced off in the 2023 final, where Sabalenka came back from a set down to claim her first major title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Both players are on opposite sides of the draw this year, meaning they could only meet in a potential final. Take a look below at some highlights from the training session between two of the women’s top favourites for the title.

Rublev and Gauff bring laughter to exhibition

Coco Gauff and Andrey Rublev brought the fun to the exhibition mixed doubles match. The female World No. 3 and the male World No. 9 teamed up to face locals Daria Saville (No. 112) and former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt. With the score in favour of Gauff/Rublev, the 27-year-old Russian was getting ready to serve, but Gauff's position at the net was bothering him.

- "Can you move a little bit? Because I need space," joked Rublev.

- "Just serve the ball, you're not gonna hit me," Gauff replied.

- "I'm afraid I'm gonna hit you."

- "Just serve the ball!" insisted the American and 2023 US Open champion, right before Rublev served and began a long rally of cross-court forehands against Saville.

- "Okay, maybe she's better than you," joked Gauff, and at that exact moment, Rublev made an unforced error, giving the point to the Australians.

Leylah Fernandez recaps pre-season journey

Leylah Fernandez shared an update video with her fans, recapping what she has been doing over the past few weeks and her off-season work. The 2021 US Open runner-up had not posted her usual Instagram Reels showcasing her life off the court for some time. Fernandez, the 30th seed, is set to make her Australian Open debut against Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva (World No. 100).

"Hi everyone, it’s been so long since I’ve told you a small recap. Where to start? I’m currently in Melbourne," the Canadian began her video. "I was here for the pre-season, which is a very first time for myself and my team, to spend so much time in Australia. But we decided to do the pre-season here because we wanted to acclimatize to the weather—the sun is extremely strong.

"I actually got burned for the very first time, which normally never happens, but it did. So, wear sunscreen! And also, to acclimatize to the time difference. I know I’ve been struggling with that over the past couple of years, and I’m just happy that I was able to nip it in the b*tt this time and just be fresh and ready for my first few tournaments."

Alcaraz channels Nadal in water bottle ritual

A video on social media captures Carlos Alcaraz's routine during a break in his recent exhibition match against Alex De Minaur. The Spaniard mimicked 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal by meticulously arranging his three water bottles in the same position Nadal has done throughout his career.

Alcaraz will begin his quest for the Australian Open title on Monday as the third seed, facing a challenging draw if he aims to complete the Career Grand Slam in this edition. He will debut against Kazakhstan's Alexander Shevchenko and is in the same quarter as Novak Djokovic, setting up a potential early quarterfinal clash.

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