Daily Dose of Social Media: Putintseva’s playful insult lights up Kasatkina post, Svitolina and Monfils’ touching moments at the Australian Open

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we explore the behind-the-scenes moments of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina supporting each other after achieving big upsets against the World No. 4 players, Taylor Fritz and Jasmine Paolini. Meanwhile, Yulia Putintseva left a sarcastic comment on Daria Kasatkina's post after being defeated.

Elsewhere, Jannik Sinner was spotted warming up with a football, and Alex Michelsen delivered a funny moment as he apologised to his mum following his huge win over Karen Khachanov.

From court to the box: Monfils and Svitolina’s unwavering support

Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils stole the spotlight this Saturday with two remarkable victories from the tennis power couple. The Frenchman, world No. 41, upset world No. 4 Taylor Fritz in the third round, continuing his impressive run at the Australian Open in one of the biggest upsets so far in the men’s main draw. Fritz is the highest-ranked player eliminated from the tournament to date.

Shortly after Monfils' stunning triumph, it was his wife, Elina Svitolina, who made headlines with an equally impressive win. She defeated world No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, the highest-ranked player to be knocked out in the women’s main draw so far. With both focused on their respective matches on the same day, Monfils played earlier while Svitolina was warming up. However, the Ukrainian star watched her husband’s match on the screens around Melbourne Park.

The 29-year-old stepped onto the court right after Monfils’ match finished, as both were scheduled on Margaret Court Arena. Despite the tight schedule, Monfils hurried back to the court to cheer for his wife, taking his place in her player box just in time to witness her victory. Here are some of the best moments captured of the couple making waves at the Australian Open.

Michelsen’s post-match message to his mom melts hearts

Alex Michelsen delivered a humorous moment following his remarkable victory over Karen Khachanov in the Australian Open third round. The 20-year-old secured his second top-20 win of the tournament, having already eliminated 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round, earning a spot in the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

The young American used the post-match camera moment to send a heartfelt message to his mother, apologising for not staying in touch. “Mom, hi, I’m sorry. I only called you for like a minute this morning. I’ll call you soon; I had things to do,” Michelsen said, looking directly into the camera. “Yeah, I love you, I miss you, and I hope everything’s good at home.”

Michelsen now prepares for an even tougher challenge in the fourth round, where he will face the local favourite, world No. 8 Alex De Minaur, on Rod Laver Arena. Their head-to-head record stands at 1-1, with Michelsen winning their only hardcourt meeting at the 2024 Los Cabos Open.

Jannik Sinner Displays Football Skills in Pre-Match Warm-Up

Jannik Sinner showcased his football skills in the players’ warm-up zone in a video captured by tournament cameras. The world No. 1, known for his love of football, was seen juggling a ball before stepping onto the court on Saturday to face Marcos Giron. The defending Australian Open champion, like other players, incorporates football exercises into his routine to improve coordination and add a fun element to his pre-match warm-up.

Sinner then dominated the American Giron with a commanding 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory, advancing to the fourth round and securing his 10th consecutive win at Melbourne Park. He will next face Denmark’s Holger Rune, who has already eliminated tough opponents such as Matteo Berrettini and Miomir Kecmanovic in earlier rounds.

Kasatkina promotes YouTube channel - and a cheeky comment from Putintseva

Daria Kasatkina invited fans to subscribe to her YouTube channel following a significant victory at the Australian Open, where she reached the tournament's second week for the first time. The Russian player had previously made at least the fourth round at the other three majors but had never advanced this far in Melbourne. She broke that streak by defeating Yulia Putintseva on Saturday morning.

During her on-court interview, Kasatkina used the moment to encourage fans to follow her vlog. “Guys, me and my partner Natasha, we’ve got a blog together about tennis. After every tournament, we upload the vlog on our YouTube channel. Check it out: ‘What the Vlog’ on YouTube. Please subscribe, enjoy,” said the world No. 9. “I hope the one from here is going to be very good—probably up in a couple of weeks. Please subscribe; we’d be so happy to see you there.”

The 26-year-old also shared a celebratory post on social media, marking her fourth-round breakthrough: “2nd week, we finally meet💜 @australianopen,” she wrote.

In a humorous twist, her third-round opponent, Yulia Putintseva, replied to the post with the comment “сучка,” which translates to “b*tch.” The two players have demonstrated a friendly off-court relationship and have often joked together on the WTA Tour, as seen in Kasatkina’s vlog.

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