Daily Dose of Social Media: Sabalenka shows hilarious shirts, Djokovic jokes about Dimitrov's photoshoot

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we gather some of the most interesting moments from the day at the Miami Open, including new photos of Aryna Sabalenka with hilarious pictures of her team, along with fun customized shirts, while Novak Djokovic had fun joking about Grigor Dimitrov’s latest photoshoot.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa were seen together, with the Greek supporting his girlfriend after her withdrawal from the tournament due to injury, while Leylah Fernandez took advantage of her time in Miami to launch a new partnership with her foundation and ‘First Serve Miami’ to help underprivileged youth.

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Badosa steps back: Tsitsipas supports her through injury

After Paula Badosa’s withdrawal from the Miami Open, a video shows her alongside her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas on the training courts during the difficult moment the Spaniard is going through. The world No. 11 had to pull out before facing Alexandra Eala in the round of 16 of the tournament. Just a few weeks earlier, she had also withdrawn from Indian Wells due to the same back injury.

“Hello everyone, as you know, I had to withdraw from Miami and the upcoming tournaments. It’s very sad and tough to deal with the pain and especially stopping and coming back every single time. Now it’s time to go through the recovery process again… Hopefully, I’ll be back soon,” she wrote on her Instagram stories.

Sabalenka’s Team Spirit: hilarious shirts and Brazilian support

True to her great sense of humour and strong bond with her team, Aryna Sabalenka shared a series of photos featuring her coach Antonio Dubrov wearing a striking pink shirt that says “Sabby” alongside several pictures of the world No. 1 lifting some of her most important trophies.

Another shirt read “Our Brazilian Diva,” just after Sabalenka was cheered by Brazilian fans who have supported Joao Fonseca in mass, and who were present in the stadium during the prior match, closely watching Sabalenka’s victory over defending champion Danielle Collins.

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Djokovic jokes about Dimitrov’s photos

Novak Djokovic joked during media day, comparing his photos with those of his colleague Grigor Dimitrov in a similar photo session. In one of the official photoshoots of the tournament, both Dimitrov and Djokovic posed lying on hundreds of tennis balls, getting similar shots.

Djokovic humorously commented after seeing the results, “Did I see Dimitrov there?” The 24-time Grand Slam champion then added, “Let’s be clear, I’m not going to look as good as he is, so you might as well just not do anything with me and just take this photo and put it everywhere,” he said, as laughter echoed from the production team

A few hours earlier, Djokovic appeared on his stretching exercises in the warm-up area in Miami. The striking exercise he performed caught the attention of fans and was shared by Tennis Channel’s social media. One of the most recognized aspects of Djokovic as an athlete is his great flexibility and ability to stretch and glide across the court, with flexibility exercises being crucial for the Serbian. Check out the particular exercise Djokovic was performing with his team.

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Eala's memorable moment: Graduation photo with Nadal and Swiatek

The Rafa Nadal Academy shared a unique photo of teenage sensation Alexandra Eala, who trained at the academy of the 22-time Grand Slam champion, during her graduation in 2023. At that time, the 18-year-old Filipino was with none other than the legendary Rafa Nadal and the World No. 1 at the time, Iga Swiatek. Eala is set to face the five-time Grand Slam champion in the Miami Open quarterfinals.

Swiatek was the champion of the tournament in 2022, defeating Naomi Osaka in the final, and will face a surprising opponent in the quarterfinals, Eala, who has reached her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal. The 19-year-old player has defeated rivals such as Jelena Ostapenko (25th seed) and Madison Keys (5th seed), and took advantage of Paula Badosa's withdrawal to make it into the top eight of the tournament. She will look for the biggest win of her career against the Polish star, with the chance to break into the top 100 for the first time (a win would put her in the top 75 in the live rankings).

"📅 June 2023: @alex.eala graduates from the Rafa Nadal Academy alongside @iga.swiatek📅 March 2025: Alex will play the @miamiopen quarterfinals against Iga.What an incredible story! 😍" they posted

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Leylah Fernandez launches new community tennis initiative

Leylah Fernandez recently launched a new partnership for the ‘Leylah Annie and Family Foundation,’ led by the Canadian tennis player. The community initiative is aimed at young people aged 5 to 18 from low-income backgrounds. While the Miami Open is underway, they’ve teamed up with “First Serve Miami” for a new program that will start this summer at Buccaneer Park in Miami Gardens, offering free tennis instruction.

The former world No. 13 claimed a win in her Miami Open debut, defeating Alycia Parks 7-6, 6-3, but was defeated in the third round by local Ashlyn Krueger. The Canadian has yet to confirm tournaments in the upcoming weeks as the clay swing begins, with her likely return expected at the Madrid Open.

“Super excited that the @leylahanniefoundation got to announce its partnership with @firstservemiami to help children get life opportunities through the sport of tennis 🎾😀” the former US open runner-up wrote on her Instagram account. “The Leylah Annie & Family foundation and First Serve Miami share so many values, and we can’t wait to give back to the community even more together.Thanks to everyone who came to First Serve Miami’s Annual Fundraiser!! Had so much fun!! 🤩”

Murray’s football skills shine at Miami Open

Andy Murray took part in a ‘target practice’ session at the Miami Open, where he showed off his skills with a football, controlling the ball and attempting to hit a target while joking around with his brother, doubles specialist Jamie Murray.

The former World No. 1 is taking the time to have fun during his time at the Miami Open, marking his first appearance as a coach, less than a year after his retirement. The Brit is accompanying his former rival Novak Djokovic in his team as the Serbian prepares for his quarterfinal match against Lorenzo Musetti.

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