Daily Dose of Social Media: Swiatek meets legends; Nishioka's meltdown steals the show

In today’s Daily Dose of Social Media, we spotlight key moments and entertainment from ATP and WTA stars. Iga Swiatek had a special encounter with legends Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi and shared photos on her social media, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity and referring to herself as “a random girl in the middle” of the two former ATP and WTA stars.

Additionally, relive the moment when Yoshito Nishioka lost his composure and threw several balls out of the stadium during his match against Hubert Hurkacz in the most dramatic encounter of the day. Meanwhile, Serena Williams celebrated her second daughter’s birthday, and WTA stars shared moments with puppies amidst the Cincinnati Open.

Swiatek poses with tennis legends Agassi and Graf

Iga Swiatek is back in the US after winning the bronze medal at Paris 2024 and shared a moment with two Grand Slam legends. The World No. 1 met 8-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi and 23-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf.

In the photo shared by Swiatek on social media, there are ‘only’ 35 Grand Slam titles, including 11 French Open titles. Despite this, the 22-year-old player remained humble and captioned the photo: “Look at this. Just two legends and a random girl in the middle. Kinda amazing. 😍”

Swiatek just overcame a tough challenge in her Cincinnati debut. After receiving a bye in the first round, she faced French player Varvara Gracheva. The Pole squandered 5 match points in the second set tie-break but eventually closed out the match in the third set, winning 6-0, 7-6(8), 6-2.

Iga Świątek

@iga_swiatek

·Follow

Look at this. Just two legends and a random girl in the middle. Kinda amazing. 😍

23.6K

Reply

Copy link

Read 628 replies

WTA Stars enjoy pre-Match puppy cuddles at Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Open had a small surprise prepared for the WTA players during the first days of the tournament. In a video shared on social media, some players who had matches spent time with puppies to relieve pre-match stress.

The video first shows Jasmine Paolini interacting with a puppy at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, the home of the Cincinnati Open. Later, Daria Kasatkina appears with her girlfriend, figure skater Natalia Zabiiako. Teenager Mirra Andreeva also joined in on the cuddles with the adorable puppies.

At least for Andreeva, it was a good omen, as she secured a convincing victory over the 11th seed Emma Navarro, winning 6-2, 6-2. On the other hand, Kasatkina was surprised by Taylor Townsend (1-6, 6-2, 1-6). Paolini awaits her debut at the end of the North American session against Anastasia Potapova.

Serena Williams celebrates daughter Adira's first birthday

Serena Williams commemorates her second daughter Adira's birthday with photos on Instagram: "A year ago today - August 15th - I gave birth to my second baby girl, Adira River Ohanian. She is a true light. Here’s a peek inside my maternity shoot. @adiraohanian,” she captioned.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion shared previously unseen photos from her 2023 pregnancy and explained the Hebrew origin of her daughter's name: "Adira is a girl’s name of Hebrew origin and means ‘mighty,’ ‘strong,’ and ‘majestic.’ The elegant name is popular in many cultures around the world. Adira is the feminine form of the classic name Adir. It is a Biblical name, meaning ‘Strong One.’ @alexisohanian @olympiaohanian"

Nishioka’s meltdown: Drama unfolds in loss to Hurkacz

Yoshito Nishioka was the protagonist of Round 2 at the Cincinnati Open. The world No. 52 faced Hubert Hurkacz (No. 7) and took the lead in the first set 6-3, but then the Polish player showcased his ranking, winning the second set in a tiebreak.

The drama began in the third set. The Japanese player lost his serve in the 4th game and hit three balls out of the stadium, which the chair umpire deemed “unsportsmanlike conduct,” resulting in the loss of the next point in the 5th game. As the next game started, Nishioka once again sent a ball out of the stadium, was charged with 'ball abuse,' and penalized with a game.

Finally, the Japanese player didn’t put much effort into the last games. In fact, with Hurkacz leading 5-1, he closed the set with four consecutive aces against little resistance from Nishioka. You can watch the video of what happened here:

Tennis TV

@TennisTV

·Follow

Crazy Game Penalty 😳 The third set of Hurkacz vs Nishioka was full of drama... #CincyTennis

Watch on Twitter

2.1K

Reply

Copy link

Read 114 replies

Ground Pass

@GroundPasspod

·Follow

Well it’s all kicking off on stadium 3. Nishioka just got a game penalty after hitting ball out of the stadium twice in a row. He is really upset after loosing the 2nd set and can’t recover. #CincyTennis

25

Reply

Copy link

Read 4 replies

Hurkacz and Etcheverry’s touching gestures for young fans

Not everything was negative in the match between Hurkacz and Nishioka, as the Polish player left some heartwarming moments after the match by gifting his racket to a young fan in the crowd. Hurkacz secured the victory 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1 in a clash marked by Nishioka’s anger, which resulted in multiple penalties and practically giving up on the last few games.

Hurkacz avoided any controversy. After the match, he approached a child in the crowd and made a great gesture by giving him his racket. A day earlier, similar scenes were seen when Sebastian Baez approached his loyal fan after defeating Marcos Giron.

Today, another player who made a gesture to a young fan was Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The world No. 37 secured an important victory against Matteo Arnaldi in the first round and had the support of a young fan, whom he didn’t hesitate to greet after the match. Another significant gesture from one of the ATP players, who have been especially close to children this week.

The Tennis Letter

@TheTennisLetter

·Follow

Hubi Hurkacz gives his racquet to a young fan after winning his match in Cincinnati. Pure joy on this kid’s face The crowd starts cheering The boy starts practicing his service motion 🥹 One of the sweetest moments of the year Hubi is all class ❤️

Watch on Twitter

3.8K

Reply

Copy link

Read 54 replies

Wozniacki shines in Cincinnati Return: 12th appearance and special memories

Caroline Wozniacki had a special debut in the first round of the Cincinnati Open, defeating Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina in straight sets (6-2, 6-4). The 34-year-old Dane played in the main draw of the tournament for the 12th time, becoming the player with the most appearances in the event.

Wozniacki holds special memories of Cincinnati, as it was the place where she had her first professional match: "It’s a very special place for me. I’m really sad I haven’t won this tournament yet, maybe this year," she said with a laugh. "But, you know, it’s such a special tournament for me. I turned pro here four days after my 15th birthday.

"I played Patty Schnyder, who was top ten in the world, in the first round here and got my butt kicked 6-3, 6-0," said the former world No. 1. "I went home and decided I needed to practice, I needed to get better, and I knew what I needed to work on. I think that was a huge stepping stone in my career and a big reason why I became the player that I am and was throughout my whole career."