Daily Dose of Social Media: Smiling Rybakina at the United Cup, WTA Bloopers with Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and more

Today, in a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we revisit the best moments of the day. The spotlight was stolen by a compilation of bloopers from female tennis stars shared by the WTA, featuring Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and more. Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina has shown her brightest side at the United Cup after securing a spot in the quarterfinals.

Elsewhere, an American star had a remarkable reaction upon realizing it was their birthday after finishing a match past midnight, while Nick Kyrgios shared an emotional message following his return to the court alongside Novak Djokovic.

A Happy “Ice Queen”: Rybakina revels in United Cup team spirit

Elena Rybakina has been a standout in the United Cup with two singles wins and one in mixed doubles, which were crucial for Kazakhstan’s quarterfinal qualification. They became the first country to secure their spot and achieved it for the first time in United Cup history. The 2022 Wimbledon champion has shown renewed energy at the start of the new season and seems very comfortable in the team competition format. After defeating Maria Sakkari, she took the opportunity to send birthday greetings to her father.

The "Ice Queen" has been particularly cheerful in recent days thanks to her excellent results and even shared a reel with the Kazakh team after their qualification. In their next challenge, they will face defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund, who advanced with remarkable wins against China and Brazil.

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It’s my birthday!” – Katie Volynets’ fun reaction after midnight win in Auckland

World No. 58 Katie Volynets had a fun reaction after her victory at the ASB Classic against Erika Andreeva. The tournament’s 8th seed played past midnight against the Russian player in a match lasting over three hours, ultimately winning 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-2.

“By the way, what time is it?” Volynets asked during the on-court interview.

“It’s after midnight, 12:25 here in New Zealand,” the interviewer replied.

“It’s my birthday,” Volynets said happily, raising her arms in celebration. The interviewer responded: “Happy birthday from everyone here in New Zealand.” The tennis player, now 23 years old, replied with laughter: “Thank you so much, everyone.”

The remaining crowd past midnight then began singing happy birthday to the American. Volynets quickly reached for her phone in her bag to record the moment, but things didn’t go as planned. “Oh no, my phone is turned off,” she said, laughing during the humorous moment in Auckland.

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Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek and more: WTA Stars share laughs in 2024 Media bloopers

The WTA stars appeared in a recent video compiling bloopers from media days during the 2024 season. Featuring Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, and others, the behind-the-scenes footage showed playful moments from interviews and games.

One recurring theme was players resisting scripted lines for promotional videos, such as wishing fans “Happy Holidays.” “No lines,” World No. 1 Sabalenka is seen saying in one clip. “Lines?” she then asks.

“Let’s do it together: I say the first part, and you finish,” Sabalenka tells former World No. 2 Ons Jabeur in another blooper. “No, I say the first part,” Jabeur responds, as both laugh while trying to follow the production’s script.

“Give me fake lines that you’ll never use,” Jessica Pegula jokes in another blooper. Check out the rest of the hilarious bloopers featuring some of the biggest WTA stars below.

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Serena Williams stuns in “Jean Skirt” throwback after post-baby weight loss

Serena Williams showcased her new "Jean Skirt" in a video alongside her sisters, trying on the outfit while sharing several clips over the past weeks highlighting her weight loss journey after giving birth to her second daughter, Adira River, with her husband Alexis Ohanian in August 2023. One of her goals was to fit into the long denim skirt she bought during her pregnancy.

The skirt worn by the 23-time Grand Slam champion brought back memories of one of Williams' most iconic outfits. During the 2004 US Open, she sported a Nike-sponsored denim skirt paired with a studded sleeveless top, marking an early moment in her career when she began establishing herself as a fashion icon. In that tournament, Serena reached the quarterfinals before being defeated by Jennifer Capriati (6-2, 4-6, 4-6). The title was eventually claimed by Svetlana Kuznetsova, who defeated Elena Dementieva in straight sets.

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Paolini’s playful side steals the spotlight at United Cup

After a remarkable 2024, Jasmine Paolini has emerged as one of the standout figures in the WTA, reaching world No. 4 and back-to-back finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The Italian has not only gained attention for her fierce performances on the court and strong results but also for her infectious joy off the court.

While participating in the United Cup, Paolini took part in a promotional video with Team Italy, where they were tasked with landing ping-pong balls into red plastic cups. A day earlier, Paolini had showcased her natural talent for surfing, but her luck didn’t extend to the cup challenge. Amid multiple failed attempts, Paolini had fun, laughing and shouting at her repeated misses while trying to complete the game.

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“Honestly was emotional for me tonight”: Kyrgios celebrates doubles win with Djokovic

Nick Kyrgios shared some photos alongside Novak Djokovic following his return to the courts at the Brisbane International. The former Wimbledon runner-up teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion for an unprecedented doubles pairing, debuting with a victory to kick off the 2025 season. It marked Kyrgios' first on-court appearance in quite some time, and what better stage than in front of his home crowd, who welcomed him with roaring applause at the Pat Rafter Arena.

The Kyrgios-Djokovic duo delivered, securing a first-round victory against doubles specialists Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies (6-4, 6-7, [10-9]). In the second round, they are set to face the top-seeded pair, Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus. After the match, the former world No. 13 couldn’t hide his joy at being back on court and posted a heartfelt message on social media alongside the photos with Djokovic.

“Honestly was emotional for me tonight. Soaking it all in….. after the last 18 months was never EVER thinking to play professional tennis ever again. I want to thank the EPIC crowd and my fans for the support ❤️👑🙏🏽 I’ll do everything in my power to try and get on the court!”

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