Daily Dose of Social Media: Putintseva under fire for rude behavior towards ball girl, Sabalenka enjoys Popyrin’s celebration

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and Entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios shared a fun Q&A video together in which they chose who is more likely to and selected who has better shots.

Yulia Putintseva grabbed attention after a criticized attitude towards a ball girl in her last match against Jasmine Paolini, while Serena Williams was again at the US Open, this time watching her friend Grigor Dimitrov's victory over Andrey Rublev.

Aryna Sabalenka seems to have found inspiration for a new celebration. The world No. 2 has advanced smoothly through the US Open and is awaiting her Round of 16 match against the 33rd seed Elise Mertens, whom she leads 7-2 in their head-to-head and will seek her 25th victory in Flushing Meadows.

A video shared on social media shows Sabalenka joking around in the workout room while mimicking Alexei Popyrin's celebration after he defeated Novak Djokovic in the third round of the tournament. The Belarusian was watching the match with her team and seemed delighted by the Australian's celebration.

Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios participated in a fun joint game where both had to answer questions about “who is more likely to,” while holding signs with each other's faces. Both tennis players have shown their friendship off the court, as they are co-owners of the Miami Pickleball Club and teamed up during Fan Week to play mixed doubles. Additionally, Naomi’s agency, “Evolve,” represents Nick Kyrgios for management.

While Kyrgios remains a commentator for the tournament, Naomi was eliminated in the second round by former French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova.

First, they chose tennis aspects, where both agreed that Kyrgios has a better serve, but Osaka is better from the forehand and is the most clutch. “Stats don’t lie,” commented Kyrgios. Regarding who is ‘Most likely to smash a racquet,’ the Japanese player didn’t hesitate to choose Kyrgios, although he jokingly said, “that’s obviously Naomi.”

They also answered questions like who is more likely to become a movie star or who would be better as a karaoke singer. You can find the rest of the fun video here:

Yulia Putintseva faced heavy criticism after her rude behavior towards a ball girl at the US Open was revealed on social media. While playing against Jasmine Paolini in the third round, the world No. 32 was serving when a ball kid threw her a couple of balls, but the player did not pick them up.

After two balls were thrown to her without her taking them, Putintseva reluctantly grabbed the third ball and was booed by the crowd. The Kazakh player later had to post an apology on social media, following widespread condemnation of her behavior:

"I want to apologize to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls. Honestly speaking it was not about her. I was really pissed at myself by not winning the game from the break point," Putintseva wrote on her Instagram Story. "Got empty with my emotions and deep in my thoughts, that I was not even focusing on what's going on and who gives me the ball... all the ball kids were doing amazing as always at the Open," she added.

Serena Williams was the special guest for the match between Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was on her second day visiting Flushing Meadows and closely watched her friend Dimitrov's victory to reach the US Open quarterfinals.

The legendary American tennis player sat next to singer Alicia Keys in the box, and they showed their excitement when Dimitrov secured the tight five-set win against the world No. 6.

After the match, Dimitrov was asked: “There’s an old friend of yours in the stands. Six-time US Open champion Serena Williams... do you get nervous?”

“For some reason, not in front of her. She gave me a good pep talk yesterday,” Dimitrov said with a smile, prompting a playful reaction from Serena in the audience.

Stefanos Tsitsipas surprised his fans with a curious poll on his social media. The Greek player has ended his participation in the US Open after an early first-round defeat to Thanasi Kokkinakis in singles (6-7, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7). Additionally, he fell in the first round of mixed doubles with his girlfriend Paula Badosa against the Mexican pair Giuliana Olmos and Santiago Gonzalez.

The former world No. 3 posted on X the question: “Who do you think has the best tennis fashion on the court?” with the options of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, and Alexander Zverev, where the Spanish player has so far been favored by users.

Iga Swiatek talked about her fanatical admiration for the series Modern Family and Friends in her latest press conference. The Polish player advanced to the fourth round after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (25th seed) 6-4, 6-2 and will face Liudmila Samsonova (16th) on Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals.

“I was watching Modern Family for the past few weeks but I was watching it too much in Cincinnati, probably, so I have to balance it,” Swiatek commented about her hobbies when she has free time.

When asked about her favorite character from the 11-season American series, she replied, “It changes every season, so I can't really say. It was easier with Friends than with Modern Family.” She then added, “I think Manny, for me, is the funniest one, yeah,” after a pause.

Not only that, but she also shared her favorite characters in Friends: “When I first watched it, it was Phoebe,” she said. “When I watched this for a second time, Monica.”