From Paris to Miami: Rafa Nadal powers into E1 final, Halep & Muguruza’s WTA reunion, and Badosa meets World Cup champion

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, ATP and WTA stars are already in the final part of the season, while many are already enjoying the off-season. The WTA Finals are being disputed in Riyadh, which have featured a couple of surprise protagonists: former World No. 1s Simona Halep and Garbiñe Muguruza, both with several appearances in the WTA Finals, and who are now enjoying retirement.

Furthermore, Rafael Nadal announced his presence at the E1 final supporting his team, "Team Rafa." On the other hand, his compatriots Paula Badosa and Andrés Iniesta took a unique selfie of Spanish athletes. In addition, Félix Auger-Aliassime shared an emotional message after his defeat in the Paris Masters final, while his rival—Jannik Sinner—posted some photos celebrating a new title.

Paula Badosa is back on the courts, with her sights set on the 2026 season. The former World No. 2 had to end her 2025 season prematurely after a recurrence of her lower back injury in recent months. In her last four months of competition, she barely managed to play in one tournament: the China Open, where she ended up retiring during her second-round match against Karolína Muchová.

The former Indian Wells champion shared several photos on her social media accounts of her return to training, in addition to some glimpses of her daily life from the past week. A photo with the 2010 World Cup-winning Spanish footballer, Andrés Iniesta, stood out. The Spanish player received responses from some of her colleagues, such as current World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who commented: "My girl is on 🔥❤️", and the German Eva Lys: "10 different moods in this dump haha".

Former World No. 1 Simona Halep shared several photos of her first few days at the WTA Finals, although this time in a different role: as a former player and an ambassador for the tournament. The two-time Grand Slam champion also spent time with the tournament director, fellow former World No. 1 Garbiñe Muguruza, a long-time rival with whom she faced seven times in her career. These matchups include the Roland Garros 2018 semifinals (on Halep's path to the title) and the Australian Open 2020 semifinals (where Muguruza advanced to the final), in addition to Muguruza's convincing victory in the 2017 Cincinnati Open final (6-1, 6-0), one of the toughest defeats on Halep’s career.

The Romanian also participated in the coin toss for the match between Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, two players she knew well. Halep retired in 2024 after a final career period marked by injuries and a 15-month suspension that caused her to lose rhythm and drop in the rankings. Her post included a reflection: "Someone asked me today: “Simona, would you like to come back to the tour or do you enjoy this legends life too much?. Honestly… I’m fine with the legends life. 🙈"

The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has confirmed his presence at the final of the world electric powerboat championship, the E1 Series, lending his support to the team he owns, the E1 Team Rafa. The culminating event will be held at the Miami Seaplane Base on November 7th and 8th. “Excited to be in Miami next week supporting @e1teamrafa! We’ll give it everything to fight for the @e1series 🏆!”

Nadal, as the team owner, will be at the American venue to boost his team in the final stage of the 2025 season. E1 Team Rafa, with pilots Cris Lazarraga and Tom Chiappe, will compete for the title aboard the RaceBird boats, which use hydrofoil technology. The competition, which features figures like Tom Brady and LeBron James as team owners, underscores its commitment to marine sustainability and technological innovation. The Miami final will not only decide the champion but also highlight the future of clean water sports.

Félix Auger-Aliassime took to social media to reflect on his runner-up finish at the Rolex Paris Masters 2025, where he fell to rival Jannik Sinner in the final by 4-6, 6-7(4). Despite the disappointment, the Canadian focused on the overall success of his run, which significantly boosted his chances for ATP Finals qualification.

Posting a carousel of photos from the tournament, Auger-Aliassime shared a heartfelt message to his fans: "A truly beautiful week of fighting here in Paris 🙌🏽❤️‍🔥🇫🇷 Grateful for my team and family for being a massive support that inspires me to reach moments like this💪🏽." He also praised the event, adding, "It was a true privilege to play in front of such a beautiful crowd at an event that continues to step it up for the players each and every year @rolexparismasters 🙏🏽." The post clearly conveyed his gratitude and commitment, despite falling one step short of the title.

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, used his platform to celebrate a landmark victory that not only secured him the Paris Masters title but also saw him reclaim the World No. 1 ranking. The Italian champion posted triumphant photos with the trophy, emphasizing the joy of the moment with a brief, punchy caption.

Sinner’s celebratory message kept the focus on the city and the supporters: "Merci Paris 🇫🇷🏆 What an amazing week, unforgettable moments ❤️ Thank you for all the support!" The Italian has only one commitment left to end the season: the ATP Finals in Turin, where he will have the mission of defending the title and maintaining the World No. 1 spot to finish the year. Sinner returned to No. 1 after winning the title in Paris, but in Turin, he defends 1,500 points, while he is 1,150 points behind Alcaraz in the Race. This means he needs to successfully defend his title and also hope for a subpar performance from Alcaraz to manage finishing the year at the top of the rankings.

Denis Shapovalov sent a special greeting on social media to the legendary doubles player Rohan Bopanna, the Indian player who has won 26 Tour-level titles in the category and is a former World No. 1. He is undoubtedly a player who has left his mark, and who, at 45 years old, continues his career, currently being the World No. 54 in doubles—far from the years he spent in the Top-10 and even when he reached No. 1 in 2024, becoming the oldest player to achieve it for the first time after winning his first Major title at the Australian Open with the Australian Matthew Ebden.

The Canadian, Shapovalov, greeted Bopanna, who is 20 years his senior, with a special message on social media. The two even partnered in doubles many times throughout their careers, starting at the 2019 Indian Wells tournament, where they fell in the second round to the pairing of Djokovic/Fognini. 'Shapo' and Bopanna played in over 20 doubles tournaments together over the last 6 years, despite Shapovalov rarely competing in the category.

“Honoured to have shared the court with you and to have been a small part of your incredible career. And super grateful to have had you as my mentor and friend on tour, I’ll never forget all the fun memories we shared! “P.S. I’m still not convinced you’re actually retiring! 😂”