Djokovic's humorous Spanish lesson, Sinner and Alcaraz meet again at US Open, Swiatek thanks Ruud after mixed doubles, Muchova and Fonseca celebrate their birthdays

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, things are looking good-humored in the lead-up to the US Open, with the friendly reunion of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time since their match in the Cincinnati Open final. In addition, Novak Djokovic provided a funny moment by sharing his favorite word in Spanish in a video captured in Flushing Meadows.

Heading into the last Grand Slam of the year, the focus was on the mixed doubles, and several of the stars who participated shared their reactions on social media, including Iga Swiatek, Venus Williams, and, of course, the special celebration from champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. On another note, there were two players celebrating birthdays today as

For a promotional video for the US Open, top players Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, and Katie Boulter were asked about the one thing they wanted to experience at the tournament. They all shared a similar desire: the electric atmosphere of a night match. "On the tennis side of things there's nothing better than night matches at the US Open," commented De Minaur. "To have that energy, have that buzz of the crowd. That would be great."

Medvedev, meanwhile, reminisced about his dramatic moments on Arthur Ashe Stadium, specifically his memorable encounter with the crowd during his third-round match against Feliciano Lopez in the 2019 US Open. In a video commemorating the iconic moment, Medvedev is seen telling the fans, "You guys, being against me, gave me so much energy to win. Thank you." This humorous exchange is just one of many that the Russian has had with fans throughout his career.

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori toasted their new mixed doubles title—their third together—after defeating singles stars Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the final of the US Open's new format. The Italian pair appeared in a social media video celebrating by uncorking bottles of champagne and dousing each other in a joyful moment. They also posed for photos with the bottles as they celebrated their victory.

Novak Djokovic's humor was on full display in a US Open video where he was handed a piece of paper that read, "Your favorite word in Spanish is..." The 24-time Grand Slam champion playfully responded with "Mi amor" ("My love"), giving a fun glance at the camera. The Serb is preparing to seek another Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, where he has won four times, the last being in 2023 for his 24th major. Since then, he has reached one Grand Slam final and four semifinals.

Iga Swiatek shared a message on social media after her mixed doubles final loss with Casper Ruud. She thanked her partner for inviting her to play in the US Open doubles and congratulated Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori on their title. The Polish star was in great spirits playing with Ruud and is full of joy as she prepares to return to the court at Flushing Meadows in her quest for a seventh Grand Slam title.

The Polish player has had a remarkable last month, winning titles at Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open. She comes into the tournament with 14 wins in her last 15 appearances. Swiatek has a chance to return to World No. 1 if she wins the title and Aryna Sabalenka has an early exit from the tournament.

Venus Williams was another star who shined in the mixed doubles event and took to social media to thank the tournament for the invitation to play. The former World No. 1, who partnered with fellow American Reilly Opelka, posted several photos of her latest on-court appearance at 45 years old. The pair was defeated in straight sets in the first round by Andrey Rublev and Karolina Muchova. Coincidentally, the seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams was later drawn to face Muchova in the first round of the main singles draw, in what will likely be one of the marquee matches held in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were seen together for the first time at the US Open just a few days after their brief encounter in the Cincinnati Open final. The Italian retired from that match with an illness after going down 0-5 in the first set, with the match lasting just 23 minutes. Sinner, who opted out of the mixed doubles event, traveled to Flushing Meadows with his sights set on defending his US Open title. A video later surfaced of Sinner touring New York City by night.

There were two birthdays at Flushing Meadows today as preparations for the US Open continue. The celebrations were for Brazilian young star Joao Fonseca, who turned 19, and former French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova, who turned 29. The Czech tennis player was seen training on the main stadium court with Naomi Osaka, and fans joined in to sing "Happy Birthday." Just a day earlier, Muchova was at Arthur Ashe Stadium competing in the mixed doubles with Andrey Rublev, where they fell to the eventual champions, Errani and Vavassori, in the quarterfinals.