Daily Dose of Social Media: Sinner and Berrettini swap racquets, Billie Jean King celebrates 81th birthday
Tennis NewsSaturday, 23 November 2024 at 00:56
Today in
our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and
Entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini had a training session filled with fun moments, joking around and even swapping rackets as they prepared for the Davis Cup semifinals.
Meanwhile, Barbora Krejcikova deeply reflected on her challenging season, Billie Jean King celebrated her 81st birthday, and Diego Schwartzman enjoyed a surprising tennis session with former Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo Nazário in Brazil.
Sinner and Berrettini add fun to Davis Cup preparations
Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini continued their training sessions ahead of
the Davis Cup semifinals. The Italian duo previously teamed up in the decisive
doubles match against Argentina, defeating doubles specialists Máximo González
and Andrés Molteni to secure Italy's spot in the semifinals in a nail-biting
finish.
After
moving past the emotions of a challenging debut, Sinner and Berrettini shared a
lighthearted moment during their practice in Malaga. While training together,
the players decided to swap racquets and continued hitting with each other’s
equipment. Both Italians were seen laughing and joking, clearly enjoying the
moment as they prepared for the upcoming clash against Australia’s Alex de
Minaur and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
“Funny
little scene during training between Jannik #Sinner and Matteo #Berrettini: the
stadium lights go off by mistake for 5 minutes. To pass the time, the two
decide to exchange racquets and Jannik says to Matteo: ‘Don't insult me.’ A few
moments later, the lights come back on ✨,” posted journalist Mateo Zorzoli, who captured the moment between the
Italians.
Scambio di racchetta tra Jan a Matteo.
— Janniksin_Updates (@JannikSinner_Up) November 22, 2024
"Non insultarla" 😂
🦊💙🔨pic.twitter.com/Dt7mC7BZPA
Questo momento per sempre scolpito nella storia del tennis italiano.#Sinner #Berrettini #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/GL5gRjhcCW
— ᴄʜɪᴀʀᴀ (@PaneeCinismo) November 21, 2024
Netherlands celebrates historic Davis Cup final qualification
The Netherlands celebrated their historic qualification for their first-ever
Davis Cup final after a remarkable victory over Germany. The team, led by Botic
van de Zandschulp and Tallon Griekspoor, emerged as the unexpected finalists
with wins against Daniel Altmaier and Jan-Lennard Struff. In the quarterfinals,
they had already stunned Spain, led by Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.
On a golden
day for the Dutch team, they won both singles matches, including an impressive
comeback from Griekspoor against Struff, clinching the final spot without
needing to play doubles. Team Netherlands marked the moment with a special
on-court celebration after becoming the first finalists of the 2024 edition.
They now await their opponent, the winner between defending champions Italy
(featuring Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini) and 2023 runners-up Australia
(with Alex de Minaur and Thanasi Kokkinakis). Check out the team’s on-court
celebrations in Malaga below.
Momentos increíbles para la marea naranja 🧡😍
— Copa Davis (@CopaDavis) November 22, 2024
¡A la finaaaaal! 🔝#CopaDavis I @KNLTB pic.twitter.com/kLpzSw7z0K
Krejcikova reflects on a challenging season, celebrates Wimbledon triumph
Barbora Krejcikova marked the end of her season a week after competing in the
WTA Finals. While 2024 wasn’t her most consistent year, the Czech player pulled
off a surprising victory at Wimbledon, securing her second Grand Slam title. A
well-deserved accolade for a player who, without much fanfare, has remained a
fixture among the top players for the past five years.
Krejcikova
shared her thoughts on the challenges she faced during the season, including
injuries and physical setbacks that often hindered her results. However, her
stellar campaign at the All England Club earned her a second Grand Slam trophy
(her first was at the 2021 French Open). Along the way, she defeated notable
players like Danielle Collins (11th seed), Jelena Ostapenko (13th), Elena
Rybakina (4th), and Jasmine Paolini (7th).
“Season
2024... a roller coaster of twists, turns, challenges and emotions. A promising
start. But then a long stop, full of injuries and illness. Beloved Paris? The
traditional end in the first round. For the third year in a row,” she posted on
Instagram. “It’s been a season that has tested me, but also rewarded me. Thanks
to my body for making it through and to everyone who has been with me on this
roller coaster - coaches, family, fans, sponsors. Because I couldn’t
have done it without you.”
Schwartzman shares the Court with Ronaldo: A star-studded tennis session in Brazil
Diego
Schwartzman shared a photo from São Paulo, Brazil, training alongside none
other than former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo. The 2002 World Cup champion, a
well-known tennis fan, joined the former World No. 8 on court—an honour for the
32-year-old Argentine. “Life keeps giving me unique moments. With the legend
@ronaldo 🇧🇷❤️⚽️,” Schwartzman wrote.
Earlier
this year, Schwartzman announced his retirement, which will officially take
place at the Buenos Aires Open in February 2025. After two seasons away from
the spotlight of his earlier years, the Argentine decided to end his career in
front of his home crowd. Throughout the year, he has bid farewell to his
favourite tournaments, including a final appearance in a Grand Slam main draw
at the US Open. There, he made it through the qualifiers but exited in the
first round with a loss to Gael Monfils (7-6, 2-6, 2-6, 1-6).
Read also
Billie Jean King turns 81, looks back on her legendary career
Billie Jean
King celebrated her 81st birthday with an emotional video reflecting on her
dream of becoming World No. 1. The legendary American tennis player was
instrumental in founding the WTA 51 years ago and advocating for equal prize
money in Grand Slam tournaments. The 12-time Grand Slam champion has remained
active in the tennis world throughout her life.
King is a
regular guest at all Grand Slams and recently attended the Billie Jean King
Cup, the most prestigious women’s team event, which is named in her honour. “In
Malaga, Spain, we watched the passion, talent, and athleticism of the
participating teams playing for their countries, and it became more evident to
me than ever the importance of teamwork and relationships,” she wrote.
“I am so
lucky to have our life together. I have been so fortunate to have set and
realized many goals, many that have provided opportunity to others, and always
with help along the way. No one achieves anything alone. And I'm not done yet!”
The
American also spoke about her childhood dreams of becoming the best tennis
player in the world, a goal she achieved before the Open Era began. “When I was
about 10 years old, I dreamed of being World No. 1 in tennis. But at the time,
I had no idea how to get there, or how to accomplish any of my dreams,” she
said. “If I could give 10-year-old Billie Jean some advice, it would be to not
worry about exactly how I was going to accomplish my dream, but to instead
focus on the small steps I could take to get me there.”
Today, I am 81 years young.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) November 22, 2024
In Malaga, Spain, we watched the passion, talent, and athleticism of the participating teams playing for their countries, and it became more evident to me than ever the importance of teamwork and relationships.
Relationships truly are everything.… pic.twitter.com/g60ve7ASmI
#ad When I was about 10 years old, I dreamed of being World No. 1 in tennis. But at the time, I had no idea how to get there, or how to accomplish any of my dreams.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) November 22, 2024
If I could give 10-year-old Billie Jean some advice, it would be to not worry about exactly how I was going to… pic.twitter.com/SNc5NpMPgz
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