Daily Dose of Social Media: Sinner and Berrettini swap racquets, Billie Jean King celebrates 81th birthday

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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.”