In today’s
Daily Dose of Social Media, we recap the latest activities and
Entertainment of WTA and ATP Tour players on social media. Amid the Olympic Games,
Novak Djokovic surprised fans by supporting the Serbian volleyball team shortly after learning he would face Rafael Nadal in the second round of Paris.
The Olympics have brought both thrilling celebrations and heartbreaking moments.
Sara Sorribes Tormo, for example, was seen in tears after her defeat against
Barbora Krejcikova. On the other hand,
Emma Raducanu and Paula Badosa are training together for the DC Open, while Martina Navratilova has taken a strong stance against X owner Elon Musk.
Djokovic
cheers on Serbian volleyball team
Novak
Djokovic is not only spending his time on the tennis courts in Paris, as he was
spotted today at Arena Paris Sud cheering on the Serbian volleyball team. The
24-time Grand Slam champion showed his support for his country, signed
autographs, and shared photos from the stands.
Just before
this, Djokovic received the news that he will face Rafael Nadal in the second
round of the draw, marking their 60th encounter (Nole leads 30-29). Roland
Garros seems like the perfect stage for another clash between these two
legends, which will be crucial for each's medal aspirations.
Here you
can find some images of Djokovic in the stadium supporting the Serbian
volleyball team, which ended up losing 2-3 to the local French team.
Andreescu's
Olympic debut: Triumph and emotion in Paris
Bianca
Andreescu (No. 171) made a successful debut at the Olympic Games and could not
hide her excitement as she celebrated with the Canadian fans present in Paris.
The 2019 US Open champion has faced a series of injuries over the past few
years, but recently returned to the tour after nearly 10 months away from the
courts.
In just her
second tournament at the Libema Open, she reached the final and also made it to
the third round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Today, she defeated Clara
Tauson (No. 63) decisively with a score of 6-2, 6-3 in her first Olympic
appearance. Andreescu will face 13th seed Donna Vekic in the second round.
After her
impressive debut, the former world No. 4 shared images of herself with the
public on social media, highlighting the challenges she has faced recently:
“Thank you, surreal experience!! Let’s keep it going.”
Navratilova slams Elon Musk
The 18-time
Grand Slam champion made a notable critique of Elon Musk on social media.
Navratilova is highly active on social media, particularly on X (formerly
Twitter), where she comments on both tennis and a variety of political and
social issues.
The
American criticised X owner Elon Musk, alleging that mentions she receives keep
disappearing. Navratilova is known for her willingness to voice controversial
opinions, despite occasional backlash.
“My
mentions have been so effed up the last few weeks it’s ridiculous. Elon has
messed up Twitter like I never thought possible. Mentions just keep
disappearing many times during any given day. Thanks for nothing,”
Martina Navratilova wrote.
The curious
celebration of Camila Osorio
One of the
upsets in the first round was the victory of Colombian player
Camila Osorio
(world No. 84) over former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, who entered
the tournament as the 10th seed. The Colombian's path was not easy; she came
back from a break down in the first set and dominated in the second, overcoming
one of the major medal contenders in Paris.
The vibrant
energy of the Colombian fans led to amusing images of the celebration,
including Osorio donning the traditional Colombian “Sombrero Vueltiao” (turned
hat). “For my family, for Colombia, for myself. One of the most important
victories of my career and the first time winning at the Olympic Games.”
Raducanu
and Badosa intense training for DC Open
While the
Olympics are in full swing, the action on the ATP and WTA Tours continues with
the DC Open starting Monday. Several stars opted out of Paris 2024 to avoid
physical complications due to surface changes, including Emma Raducanu and
Paula Badosa, who are in Washington to kick off the hard-court season.
Images
surfaced on social media showing both players engaging in high-intensity
training as they await their debuts. Badosa will face former Australian Open
champion Sofia Kenin, while the Brit will go up against 8th seed Elise Mertens.
Both Badosa
and Raducanu received wildcards to enter the tournament. It’s not the first
time Raducanu and Badosa have trained together, as they were seen hitting balls
together during Wimbledon just a few weeks ago.
Sorribes Tormo's emotional collapse after narrow loss to Krejcikova
With the first round now concluded at Paris 2024, half of the players are already out of the draw. One of the players who exited in the first round was Spanish player Sara Sorribes Tormo, a clay specialist who faced former Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova in her debut.
The victory went to the Czech player, who, despite the win, had not secured a victory in Paris since her title in 2021. In a tough match lasting nearly three hours, Sorribes Tormo had Krejcikova on the ropes but eventually fell 6-4, 0-6, 6-7(2). The world No. 71 performed impressively in the third set but ultimately could not overcome the two-time Grand Slam champion.
After the match, Sorribes Tormo was interviewed by Spanish television and could not control her tears following the defeat. Just before starting the interview, she broke down in tears: “The only tears you can shed are those of pride, @sara_sorribes, after leaving absolutely everything on the track.”
Sabine Lisicki praised Angie Kerber
Former
world No. 1
Angelique Kerber recently announced that Paris 2024 would be her
final tournament as a professional. At 36, she will bid farewell to a career
filled with success. In her tournament debut, she was drawn against tough
opponent Naomi Osaka but managed to secure a win with 7-5, 6-3, extending her
career by at least one more match.
Kerber’s
thrilling victory sparked reactions across the tennis world, including from her
compatriot
Sabine Lisicki. Like Kerber over the past year, the former Wimbledon
runner-up will be joining the mothers of the Tour after announcing her
pregnancy a few months ago.
Kerber's
next challenge will be in the second round against Romanian Jaqueline Cristian,
who caused an upset in the first round by defeating local favourite Caroline
Garcia.