In today’s Daily Dose of Social Media, we spotlight key moments and entertainment from ATP and WTA stars. Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, and Daria Kasatkina were among the players who participated in a fun "Never Have I Ever" interview during the Cincinnati Open.
Novak Djokovic shared a video of himself trying out a new sport, while Carlos Alcaraz offered a heartfelt apology on social media after smashing his racket. Additionally, Sloane Stephens voiced her stance following the controversy between Jack Draper and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Novak Djokovic has shared a new training video, but this time, it’s not on a tennis court. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who recently clinched the gold medal at Paris 2024, opted to take some well-deserved time off from tennis before focusing on his preparation for the US Open. This year, Djokovic will aim to defend the title he secured in 2023, adding another milestone to his already illustrious career.
In the video, Djokovic can be seen enjoying a cycling session in a serene forest with his friends, clearly in a cheerful mood. The Serbian superstar, known for his sense of humour, took to Instagram to make a playful challenge, suggesting he might take on a new sport: "Back in training. Setting new goals. Next stop, Tour de France. (I’m coming for you, @tadejpogacar 😆)," he wrote.
The target of his light-hearted jest, Tadej Pogacar, is no stranger to the spotlight. The Slovenian cyclist has won the Tour de France three times and currently holds the title of World No. 1 UCI, making him a dominant force in the world of professional cycling. Djokovic's humorous post shows his playful side as he transitions back to serious training for the upcoming Grand Slam.
The WTA stars featured in a new video where they played "Never Have I Ever," answering amusing questions in front of the cameras. The participants included Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens, and Daria Kasatkina.
The first question asked if they had ever "Wanted to be on a reality TV show," with mixed responses. "That could be a reality show about me or just a TV show about anything. I can be invited like a celebrity or something. Whatever, I can do anything," Kasatkina responded.
Another question was, "Never have I ever been to someone on Tour’s house for dinner."
"Actually, I have never," admitted Sabalenka, adding, "I’m waiting for the invitation, guys," a similar response to that of former Australian Open champion Kenin.
Sloane Stephens mentioned that she had been to Madison Keys’ house, while Badosa referred to her compatriot Carla Suárez Navarro. Kasatkina revealed she had visited the homes of her colleagues Daria Saville, Anett Kontaveit, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and even more.
Carlos Alcaraz has apologized to his fans. The Spaniard lost his composure like never before in his career during his third-round defeat to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open. The 2023 finalist even smashed a racket on the court for the first time in his career.
The early exit in Cincinnati was his first match in the hardcourt swing, and he won’t have any more preparation on the surface before the US Open. Alcaraz missed the opportunity to reach World No. 2 and avoid facing Sinner until a potential final at Flushing Meadows.
After the match, Alcaraz admitted that he was overwhelmed and that it was possibly the worst match of his career. It didn’t end there, as he took to social media today to apologize: “I want to apologise for my attitude yesterday, it was not good and that should not happen on court. I’m human, the nerves had accumulated and sometimes it’s very tough to control when there is that tension. I will work so that it doesn’t happen again. Now it’s time to think about NYC!” the World No. 3 wrote.
Alex De Minaur appears to be ready for his comeback as he prepares to compete in the US Open. The Australian suffered physical issues at Wimbledon and had to withdraw just before playing in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time in his career, against the 7-time champion Djokovic.
The World No. 10 only competed in the doubles at the Olympic Games, despite his physical problems. Alongside Alexei Popyrin, he fell in the first round to eventual silver medallists Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
De Minaur decided to withdraw from the Masters 1000 events at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, which caused him to drop to No. 10 just before the US Open, preventing him from being one of the top 8 seeds. Today, the official US Open accounts shared a video of the Aussie training at the Grandstand, after he confirmed that he is now fit to participate in the year’s final Grand Slam.
Sloane Stephens shares her opinion following the controversy in the match between Jack Draper and Félix Auger-Aliassime. On Friday, a controversial match point in the duel between the Brit and the Canadian caught everyone’s attention. According to the footage, the ball struck Draper’s racket twice after an approach to the net, resulting in a point in his favor.
Auger-Aliassime argued that it was clearly a double-hit and that the point should have been awarded to him. However, the chair umpire did not change his call and ultimately awarded the point, and thus the victory, to Draper with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens expressed her thoughts, questioning what happens to umpires in such controversial decisions. “Serious question: What consequences does the chair umpire face? This is 2 incidents in 2 tournaments for the same umpire. Does he go on probation? No year-end bonus? Can’t work the next grand slam? Fine? I’m genuinely curious.”
Serious question: What consequences does the chair umpire face? This is 2 incidents in 2 tournaments for the same umpire. Does he go on probation? No year end bonus? Can’t work the next grand slam? Fine? I’m genuinely curious.
THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL MATCH POINT EVER!!! WHAT JUST HAPPENED...? 😱 #CincyTennis
The quarter-finals of the doubles at the Cincinnati Open featured an intriguing match between the specialist duo of Jamie Murray and Ivan Dodig, and two top-25 singles players: Arthur Fils and Nicolas Jarry, who had already debuted together at the Canadian Open.
The unexpected partnership had come off a significant win against the second seeds, Matthew Ebden and Rohan Bopanna. During the second set, Arthur Fils took advantage of a short ball to deliver a powerful cross-court forehand, which unfortunately struck the Croatian Dodig in the face.
The video was shared on Tennis TV's social media: “Gonna feel that morning 😣,” was captioned.
