Cincinnati chaos: Sabalenka’s emojis, Shelton’s juggling skills, Tsitsipas & Bublik’s misses, Sonego & Cobolli’s baseball blanks, Kostyuk’s injury, and Gauff, Medvedev, Keys, Rublev, Raducanu & Swiatek all in the spotlight.
Tennis News
In today’s Daily Dose of Social Media from the Cincinnati Open, Aryna Sabalenka unleashed her full emoji arsenal after a first-round win, Ben Shelton juggled tennis balls like a circus headliner, and ATP & WTA stars revealed their “love languages” with plenty of laughs.
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas and Bublik tested their aim in a quirky can-hitting showdown, Sonego and Cobolli hilariously butchered baseball trivia, and Marta Kostyuk’s promising run ended in heartbreak with a wrist injury withdrawal.
The Emoji Faces of Aryna Sabalenka
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka continues to be a social media star, and she appeared in a fun Cincinnati Open post with her "different emojis," in a series of photos of her reactions during the last few days at the tournament. The three-time Grand Slam champion appears with her different expressions after advancing past the first round of the tournament, defeating Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1.
The Belarusian is preparing to return to the court this Monday for the third round of the tournament, where she will face 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, in what will be a rematch of their Wimbledon match, which Sabalenka ended up winning in straight sets.
Ben Shelton's circus act
Ben Shelton has been in a state of notable confidence over the last few weeks, and he appeared in a recent video showing his ability to juggle tennis balls. The American recently won his first Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open, defeating Karen Khachanov in the final and achieving his best career ranking as world No. 6.
His debut in Cincinnati was marked by his opponent's retirement in the middle of the second set, when Shelton was up 6-3, 3-1, at which point Camilo Ugo Carabelli decided to retire due to injury, giving Shelton a pass to the third round. The American, however, left a message of support for his opponent when he signed the camera at the end of the match. "Get better Camilo," the 22-year-old star wrote.
"Love language" according to the ATP and WTA Stars
The stars of the ATP and WTA responded to a round of questions and answers, this time about their "love language." In the video shared on the social media accounts of the Cincinnati Open, we can see stars like Coco Gauff, Daniil Medvedev, and Madison Keys referring to what they consider their own love language, several of them making analogies with tennis. The players took it with humor, especially the always-smiling Andrey Rublev, who also detailed what he considers the biggest red flag in a relationship, causing laughter from the entire production crew. Check out below what the big stars of the Tour had to say.
Tsitsipas and Bublik test their precision in a fun "ATP Showdown" challenge
The stars of the ATP submitted to a challenge to try hitting some tennis ball cans in a recent episode of "ATP Showdown" on the Tour's social media. With the presence of players like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Bublik, and Matthew Ebden, the players tried to show their precision to hit the ball cans in a fun video.
Sonego and Cobolli strike out in a hilarious baseball team challenge
The Italians Flavio Cobolli and Lorenzo Sonego submitted to a fun challenge in which they tried to see who could get the most names of baseball teams right. The instructions for the game were simple: mention as many baseball teams as possible, but neither of them was too familiar with the traditional American sport. The Europeans made it clear that baseball is not a sport they pay much attention to, especially Sonego, who ended up practically inventing new team names while trying to guess at least one... although Cobolli didn't do much better. Check out the fun video below.
Kostyuk's unfortunate exit: Wrist injury forces Ukrainian to withdraw
Marta Kostyuk left a heartfelt message on social media after withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open due to a wrist injury. The Ukrainian has not been doing well during the last few weeks, after suffering an injury at the past Canadian Open while playing the quarterfinals against Elena Rybakina, which forced her to retire from the match in the middle of the second set. It was one of Kostyuk's best performances in a WTA 1000 tournament, but an injury did not even allow her to finish the match against the former Wimbledon champion.
She traveled this week to Cincinnati and quickly debuted with a convincing victory against Tatjana Maria (6-1, 6-0) and had a date with Iga Swiatek for the Round of 32, but unfortunately, Kostyuk announced this Sunday that she would not be able to play the match against the six-time Grand Slam champion, withdrawing from the tournament and giving Swiatek a pass to the Round of 16.
"The wrist injury I sustained in Montreal has been a challenge these past days. I gave everything to be ready for Cincinnati. With the help of my incredible team, I managed to step on court and finish my match yesterday. It meant a lot to compete despite the pain, but I need to listen to my body. I’ll focus on healing, getting stronger, and coming back ready. Thank you, Cincinnati."

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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