GOAT Meeting: Novak Djokovic gets Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt, Rune confirms successful surgery as Vondrousova shares emotional post after new injury

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, Novak Djokovic met with none other than Cristiano Ronaldo and exchanged gifts in a unique encounter in Lisbon. Meanwhile, Holger Rune and Marketa Vondrousova provided updates on their recent injuries.

On the other hand, Leylah Fernandez and Ben Shelton were among those who celebrated victories in their respective debuts in Basel and Tokyo, while former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki reappeared, with photos from Miami while maintaining uncertainty about a potential return to the courts.

A true cross-section of legends took place in Lisbon with the meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo and Novak Djokovic, two of the biggest figures in global sports. The 24-time Grand Slam champion and the footballer met at the Lisboa Racket Centre, owned by the Portuguese star, and the moment was immortalized and shared by the club on its social media. They exchanged gifts and laughed together.

"The new luxury duo of the LRC," the Portuguese institution wrote on its Instagram account next to a photo of the two. In the image, the Serbian tennis player poses with the Al-Nassr number "7" jersey signed by the Portuguese star, while Ronaldo holds a red Lacoste shirt autographed by the former World No. 1. Both athletes later reposted the photo on their social media.

Djokovic recently announced via social media his withdrawal from the Paris Masters—just days after participating in the Six Kings Slam and retiring due to physical problems in the third-place match against Taylor Fritz. The Serbian opted to take a rest for the coming week—at the last Masters 1000 of the year where he has 7 titles—and will return to the courts at the Athens Open in the first week of November.

Holger Rune confirmed that his Achilles tendon surgery went well, following the unfortunate images of his retirement at the Stockholm Open a week ago. The Danish star suffered a painful tendon rupture injury in the Stockholm semi-finals, which forced him to undergo surgery. The injury was widely commented on in the tennis world, especially amid criticism regarding the busy ATP calendar.

Rune faces a long recovery ahead, a period off the courts estimated between 6 to 9 months for the former World No. 4. Rune was still alive for a chance to reach the ATP Finals, but the severe injury indicates he will not only miss the rest of this season but also a good part of the 2026 season.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old star thanked the fans for the messages and support received, in addition to showing that his surgery this Tuesday went well. "Hi everyone. Surgery went really well today. Thank you for all your incredible messages and support ❤️ I will keep you updated on my recovery. But now rest and heal."

Marketa Vondrousova shared a heartfelt reflection on social media after suffering an unfortunate injury in her Tokyo Open debut. The former Wimbledon champion was facing her compatriot Karolína Muchová (8th seed), but after the second set began, she had to retire due to a shoulder injury with the score 2-6, 0-1. The former World No. 6 had recently recovered from a knee injury—which forced her to withdraw from the US Open before her quarter-final duel against Aryna Sabalenka.

In her return to the courts in Ningbo, she had succumbed to the same Muchová and was hoping for revenge in Tokyo this Monday, but the injury forced her to retire from the match—and shortly after, she announced the end of her 2025 season, in which injuries were a constant, finishing with an 18-9 record and a title won on the grass courts of the Berlin Ladies Open.

Vondrousova shared a reflection on social media about the difficult year she has had on the Tour: "honestly… probably the hardest one of my life. not just because of the pain, but because keeping your head up when things don’t go your way is a whole different sport. i’ve learned that being healthy — like really healthy — is the most important thing. body, mind, everything. so yeah, ending the season in pain again wasn’t the plan, but that’s life. i’m so thankful for the people around me who kept me grounded, who supported me on the worst days and made me smile on the good ones. you know who you are.❤️ we’ll see what’s next — but for now, i’m proud i made it through this chaos."

Leylah Fernandez greeted fans in Tokyo after sharing photos on social media of her tournament debut. The Canadian successfully debuted in the Japanese capital, just two days after winning the Japan Open title in Osaka—defeating 18-year-old star Tereza Valentova. This time, Fernandez was unfazed by the travel and short adaptation time, debuting with a straight-sets victory against the tricky Maria Sakkari—coming from the qualifying—7-6(5), 6-4.

Fernandez is preparing for a tough Round of 16 challenge against Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh is obliged to win if she wants to keep her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals alive, while Fernandez will be looking to extend her six-match winning streak.

Ben Shelton shared some photos on social media after his hard-fought debut against Kamil Majchrzak, where he had to save a match point before securing the tight victory 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(9-7). The World No. 6 is recovering from an injury and hadn't secured a win since the end of August at the US Open—where he only reached the third round. Since then, an injury forced him to withdraw from the Davis Cup, Laver Cup, and Tokyo Open, while his reappearance at the Shanghai Masters had been a first-round loss to David Goffin.

This time, back on the indoor courts, he achieved a confidence-revitalizing victory that will give him a boost of morale for his Round of 16 duel against Jaume Munar. Shelton needs to keep accumulating wins if he wants to secure his place in the ATP Finals, although he remains in a comfortable 6th place in the Race.

The former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki shared a photo from her days in Miami, just a few months after welcoming her third child. The 2018 Australian Open champion took another break from her career this 2025, without confirming if she will return to the courts again. Meanwhile, she is enjoying family time with her husband, former NBA basketball player David Lee, and their three children: Olivia, James, and Max.