Daily Dose of Social Media: Sabalenka meets F1 Star, Badosa and Tsitsipas star in Arctic Vlogumentary

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we look at Aryna Sabalenka's meeting with Jack Doohan, the F1 driver who was in the Belarusian's box and later spent time with the World No. 1 in the locker room. Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa teased their ‘vlogumentary’ filmed in the snowy landscapes of Iceland.

Elsewhere, Nick Kyrgios and Coco Gauff expressed their gratitude to fans after their respective stops in Brisbane and Perth ahead of the Australian Open. The Australian is traveling to Melbourne to prepare for the year's first Grand Slam, while the World No. 3 is in Sydney getting ready for the United Cup semifinals.

Badosa – Tsitsipas: A glimpse into their Arctic adventures

Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas appeared in a teaser for a "vlogumentary," a hybrid of a documentary and video blog, chronicling their recent holiday in Iceland's Arctic Circle. The couple braved temperatures as low as -12°C (10.4°F) during their trip.

“Dear friends, my name is Paula—Paulita for friends—and yours is Stefanos Tsitsipas,” Badosa said in the video alongside her boyfriend. “We’re not together in reality,” Tsitsipas joked. “Only when it comes to filming shows,” he added with a laugh.

Read also

Daily Dose of Social Media: Zheng Qinwen arrives to Melbourne for Australian Open as Jannik Sinner shares his ‘last shot’ of the season

The Spanish and Greek tennis stars shared images and clips of their snowy off-season adventures, which they filmed last November. The vlogumentary is now available on the Tennis Channel, with a sneak peek shared on social media. “Go on the road with tennis’ ultimate power couple @paulabadosa & @stefanostsitsipas98 during their off-season adventures,” read the post.

The pair went their separate ways at the start of the new season. Tsitsipas traveled to Perth to represent Greece in the United Cup, where he secured a win against Pablo Carreño Busta but lost to Alexander Shevchenko, resulting in their team’s elimination in the Round Robin stage. Meanwhile, Badosa competed in Brisbane, where she lost in the first round of singles to Elina Avanesyan and was eliminated in the doubles quarterfinals alongside Ons Jabeur by Olympic silver medallists Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva. Both players are now set to reunite in Melbourne for the Australian Open.

Nick Kyrgios updates fans after first week back on Tour

Nick Kyrgios left a message for his fans on social media after completing his first week of competition on the Tour following two years of inactivity. The Australian had played only one match between 2023 and 2024, back in June at the 2023 Stuttgart Open, where he lost to Yibing Wu.

After overcoming knee and wrist injuries and undergoing a couple of surgeries, Kyrgios showcased a solid level of play in his return. Despite a tight first-round loss to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, decided in a third-set tiebreak, Kyrgios also reached the doubles round of 16 alongside Novak Djokovic. The pair were defeated by top seeds Nikola Mektić and Michael Venus.

Kyrgios shared photos of himself training with his team, including one where Novak Djokovic is seen in the background preparing for their doubles match. “Down week now!!!! Gotta rest the wrist and hope that all will be well for the AO ⚡️❤️🙏🏽 hope you all were entertained,” Kyrgios wrote.

Read also

Daily Dose of Social Media: Ons Jabeur praises Alexandrova’s fair play, Andreeva shines in racquet grip challenge

Aryna Sabalenka meets F1 Driver Jack Doohan 

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka met Australian motorsport driver Jack Doohan amidst her Brisbane International campaign. Sabalenka, a known Formula 1 enthusiast, has previously showcased her passion for the sport, attending the Imola F1 Grand Prix in May last year and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix alongside her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, at the end of the season.

The three-time Grand Slam champion hosted Doohan as a special guest in her player box. “Definitely, I’m an Aussie,” she joked to Jelena Dokic after a brief delay. “Of course, I was trying to be as fast as they drive. Be aggressive, and I really wanted him to enjoy watching me play. I hope he did, because it’s really special to have him in the box. I hope he’ll come for the next matches until the end. You’re the best!”

Sabalenka has started the 2025 season strong, maintaining the high level that crowned her 2024 campaign. She achieved dominant wins over Renata Zarazua in the first round and 15th seed Yulia Putintseva in the round of 16. On Friday, she will face Czech player Marie Bouzková for a spot in the semifinals. Sabalenka is defending 300 points from her runner-up finish last year and needs a strong start to the year in Australia to retain her top ranking.

Read also

Tournament Centre Brisbane International 2025: Schedule, results, Prize Money and TV Guide

Coco Gauff expresses gratitude to Perth crowd after securing United Cup semifinal spot

Coco Gauff thanked the fans in Perth after advancing to the United Cup semifinals, marking the end of her time in Western Australia. Team USA now faces a daunting journey of nearly 4,000 kilometres (2,400 miles) to the eastern part of the country as they aim for a spot in the tournament’s final.

The Americans delivered an impressive performance against China in the quarterfinals, securing three consecutive wins to stay in the hunt for the title. The 2023 US Open champion took to the court first, defeating veteran Zhang Shuai in straight sets (7-6, 7-6), setting the stage for USA’s victory. Taylor Fritz then sealed his match against Zhizhen Zhang with a 6-4, 6-4 win. The mixed doubles match – although inconsequential as USA had already secured the win – saw Desirae Krawczyk and Robert Galloway defeat Zhang Shuai and Sun Fajing (6-3, 6-7 [10-3]).

Gauff and Team USA now await their semifinal opponents. On Friday, Italy, led by World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, will face the Czech Republic, spearheaded by former French Open finalist Karolina Muchová. Regardless, Gauff is set to face a top-level opponent as she seeks to help her country reach the final.

“Thank you Perth ❤️! Starting off 2025 strong by heading into the final four of @unitedcuptennis 🦅💪🏾 see you soon Sydney 🫡,” the World No. 3 posted.

Read also

United Cup 2025: Terrific Taylor Fritz sends Team USA into semi-finals as Sydney flight awaits

Rublev and Shang playfully reflect on phone habits

Andrey Rublev and Shang Juncheng participated in a light-hearted game at the Hong Kong Open, which involved spinning a wheel and answering fun questions. One of the questions focused on which player spends the most time on their phone.

“I think I do pretty good with not staying on my phone for too long,” said World No. 50 Shang Juncheng. “I think I’ll give it to someone else, maybe ‘Triple Z’ (Zhang Zhizhen),” the 19-year-old rising star added. “Every time I see him, he’s either playing video games or texting. Z, stay off the phone next year!”

World No. 8 Andrey Rublev, who was eliminated in the first round, admitted, “I spend too much time on the phone. I’m not doing anything, to be honest, to spend less time,” he confessed.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe