Daily Dose of Social Media: Ons Jabeur hilariously pranks Zheng Qinwen, Alcaraz enjoys a game of tennis-golf

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, Ons Jabeur hilariously pranked Zheng Qinwen during a WTA interview, while Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed a break from training by playing ‘tennis-golf’ with his team.

Emma Raducanu shared a series of photos from her time at the Miami Open during her free time, while Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula came together at the players’ party for a fun cooking activity.

Emma Raducanu shared a series of photos following her solid run at the Miami Open, during which she also took time to enjoy some downtime in the US. The 2021 US Open champion watched an LA Lakers game from the front row, joined in some promotional activities, and took time to explore the city.

The former world No. 10 reached the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 for the first time in her career, scoring wins over Emma Navarro and Amanda Anisimova, before falling to fourth seed Jessica Pegula. Raducanu will return to the court at the Madrid Open, where she will be one of the dark horses among the non-seeded players, especially given her great form and the fact she has virtually no points to defend during the clay swing.

Danielle Collins joined a fun segment called "Story Time with a Twist", where she created a quirky tale by answering random prompts. The 2024 Miami Open champion was asked to name a player, pick a shot, a surface, and more.

“I’m Danielle Collins and this is The Grass Court Catastrophe,” said the former Australian Open finalist. “Once upon a time, there was a tennis player named Peyton Stearns, who was known for their incredible skills on grass courts. However, the moment they stepped on the grass court, disaster struck.”

“In her first match on clay, Peyton Stearns tried to hit a quirky forehand but ended up slipping and landing on her elbow. The crowd gasped as she stood up covered in banana, in a tennis bag,” added the always entertaining Danimal.

The WTA shared several photos from the Stuttgart Open player party, attended by some of the tournament’s top stars, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 4 Coco Gauff, and local favourite Eva Lys. The event included a fun cooking activity, bringing players together for a relaxed and joyful moment.

First-round matches were played on Monday and Tuesday, and the top seeds are set to make their debuts on Wednesday. Among the most anticipated matchups will be 3-time finalist and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who headlines the night session against Anastasia Potapova.

Jasmine Paolini had a special celebration after opening her Stuttgart Open campaign with a solid victory. The world No. 6 faced a tricky opponent in local favourite Eva Lys, whom she had previously defeated at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a score of 6-2, 7-5. This time, the Italian took full control from the start and needed little effort to overcome the 23-year-old with a 6-2, 6-1 scoreline.

After the match, Paolini received a heartwarming welcome from young fans and children who were waiting inside the stadium to greet her. They posed for photos with the two-time Grand Slam finalist, proudly waving Italian flags and holding pictures of their tennis idol. Paolini, always cheerful and approachable, took time to engage with the young supporters who had been cheering her on at the Stuttgart Open.

“How to celebrate your first round win – Porsche Tennis Grand Prix style! 🎉” posted the tournament’s official account.

Carlos Alcaraz played a fun and unusual game with his team after his Stuttgart Open training session. The world No. 2 made his tournament debut on Tuesday at Pista Rafa Nadal, facing American Ethan Quinn, just two days after lifting the Monte-Carlo Masters title. Without displaying his best level, Alcaraz quickly adapted to the new conditions and, despite the short recovery time, secured a 6-2, 7-6[8-6] victory—his sixth consecutive win.

As he prepares for his next match against Laslo Djere, the Spaniard still found time to relax with his team, highlighting the strong bond within his camp. Alcaraz and his team engaged in a lighthearted game, a mix of golf and tennis, where they used their rackets to hit the tennis ball from the net towards the baseline, competing to see who could land the ball closest. Check out the fun moment between Alcaraz and his team below!

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem made a special appearance at the BMW Munich Open, participating in the coin toss ahead of the match between Francisco Cerúndolo and former champion Jan-Lennard Struff.

The former world No. 3 retired from professional tennis at the end of 2024 during the Vienna Open, after years of struggling with injuries that prevented him from regaining his top form. Thiem’s best result in Munich came in 2016, when he reached the final, falling to Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The match ended with a commanding 6-2, 6-0 win for Cerúndolo, who will now face Alexander Shevchenko in the round of 16.

A new video of Ons Jabeur has gone viral on social media as part of her ongoing WTA web series, "What’s going Ons." The former World No. 2 stars in the light-hearted series where she pulls pranks on fellow WTA stars.

A few days ago, her target was Mirra Andreeva, who was led to believe she'd made Jabeur cry in an interview, with Daria Kasatkina playing along as an accomplice. This time, the victim was another Top 10 player – Zheng Qinwen.

“I’m gonna be messing with Zheng Qinwen and I’m holding the mic. I’m gonna be hiding here and try to piss her off a little bit,” said the 3-time Grand Slam finalist at the beginning of the video.

Jabeur was seen hiding in the bushes, holding a microphone from afar, repeatedly interrupting Zheng’s interview by nudging her face with the mic—without Zheng knowing who was behind it. At one point, Zheng was asked for her opinion on Ons Jabeur, all while being poked by the rogue mic and clearly growing more confused and frustrated.

Watch the full prank and Zheng Qinwen’s golden reaction in the latest episode of ‘What’s Going Ons’.