From Farewell to fun: Naomi Osaka enjoys Mario Kart style go-karting, Federer shares joy after Shanghai return, as Djokovic and Sabalenka thank fans

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the major events of the Asian swing begin to wrap up—with the finals of the Wuhan Open and Shanghai Masters set for this Sunday—and several farewells among the Tour's stars. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka said goodbye with emotional thanks to their fans, while others are already preparing for their next challenges.

Such is the case for Naomi Osaka, who enjoyed a unique experience in pure Mario Kart style in Japan, while Roger Federer shared images of his return to the courts in Shanghai, where he starred in an exhibition during the tournament he won on two occasions.

Naomi Osaka shared a series of photos on social media of her return to Tokyo as she prepares to return to the courts in her home country, Japan, where she will compete in the Osaka and Tokyo tournaments in the coming weeks. The 4-time Grand Slam champion will be the 1st seed at the WTA 250 Osaka, her hometown, where she will share the draw with players like Linda Noskova, Leylah Fernandez, and Lois Boisson. In Tokyo, she will be the 8th seed in a draw filled with stars, including Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, and Elena Rybakina.

Meanwhile, the former World No. 1 is using the days before her return to the courts to enjoy some time off from competition in Japan, where she enjoyed the 'Osaka Go-Karting' experience, which seeks to emulate the real-life experience of Mario Kart on street karts styled like the traditional Nintendo game. "Honestly really nice to have fun with friends 🥹☺️❤️ (p.s : I can beat everyone in Mario kart. Yes that includes you 🏎️💨)"

Roger Federer shared some moments on social media from his return to the courts at the Shanghai Masters, more than three years after his retirement, where he was the main star of an exhibition on Friday after the quarterfinals finished.

Where he captured two titles, in the 2014 and 2017 seasons, the 20-time Grand Slam champion returned for the second consecutive year to be part of an exhibition. In a doubles format best of three tie-breaks, he teamed up with actor Donnie Yen to face a colleague of his, Wu Lei, and former tennis player Zheng Jie. The result ended favorably for the team led by the Swiss, with partial scores of 5-7, 10-8, 7-1. “Such a fun night back on court @rolexshmasters 💫”

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka today abdicated the crown of the last WTA 1000 of the season being held in Shanghai, whose past three editions she had conquered, by falling in the semifinals to American Jessica Pegula, who will clash for the title with her compatriot Coco Gauff, the winner over the Italian Jasmine Paolini.

The Belarusian, however, takes the best of her time in Wuhan and thanked the fans who supported her live at the last WTA 1000 of the season, despite suffering a disappointing defeat after 20 consecutive wins in the Chinese city. “That’s a wrap on @wuhanopenwta 🤍🇨🇳 Not the ending I wanted but thankful for the time spent here. Thank you to the fans for the support and making this stadium feel like home 💪🏼”

Jessica Pegula was precisely the one who defeated Sabalenka, breaking the 4-time Grand Slam champion's undefeated record. The 31-year-old American will play her 7th WTA 1000 final against her compatriot Coco Gauff, and she joked on social media about the particular record she continues to extend after her victory over Sabalenka, as she has played 8 consecutive matches that went to three sets, taking the victory in 7 of them and only being defeated in the China Open semifinals by Amanda Anisimova—the eventual champion of that tournament. “How do you play 2 sets? Asking for a friend. See you guys in the final 🫶🏼” she wrote on her social media.

Novak Djokovic thanked the Shanghai public for the support received after his surprising defeat in the tournament semifinals against Monegasque Valentin Vacherot in straight sets. The 24-time Grand Slam champion cited health and physical problems during the match, amidst the difficult heat of the Chinese capital, and could not keep up with his rival—14 years his junior—ultimately losing in the semifinals.

Throughout the tournament, the public at the Rolex Shanghai Masters showed massive support for the 100-time Tour champion, both on and off the court. Djokovic expressed his gratitude on several occasions, including on social media. “Shanghai, you will always have my heart. 谢谢你所做的一切 🫶🏼 And @valvacherot, this is your moment. You played unbelievably and have made Monaco proud 🇲🇨. Bonne chance pour la finale.”