Novak Djokovic and Eva Lys attend Lacoste event, Sabalenka reveals AO jewellery as Kasatkina celebrates Australian citizenship

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the tennis world offered a behind-the-scenes look at life in Melbourne as the Australian Open draws closer, with several top names sharing key moments from the build-up on their platforms. Daria Kasatkina celebrated a major personal milestone after receiving her Australian citizenship, while Mirra Andreeva capped off a dominant week in Adelaide by lifting the title before turning her attention to a tricky opening-round challenge at the Happy Slam.

Elsewhere across the tours, players also gave fans a glimpse into life away from competition, from brand appearances to personal projects and tournament preparation. Novak Djokovic and Eva Lys featured in Lacoste’s Melbourne gathering, Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter shared moments from the launch of his new foundation, Nick Kyrgios posted from Melbourne Park as he readies for a doubles return, and Aryna Sabalenka completed the roundup by unveiling her custom Australian Open jewellery ahead of her title defence.

Daria Kasatkina celebrated in Australia after receiving the official documents confirming her Australian citizenship, which accredits her as an Australian citizen following her decision to change residence from Russia. The former World No. 8 will compete at the Australian Open for the 11th time, although it will be the first occasion she does so under the Australian flag. Kasatkina shared her happiness on social media as she prepares for her debut in Melbourne.

Kasatkina will open her campaign against teenager Nikola Bartunkova, who is making her debut in the tournament. Should she advance, she would face a potential second-round clash against the winner of the match between Belinda Bencic (10th seed) and former British No. 1 Katie Boulter.

Mirra Andreeva celebrated the fourth title of her career following a remarkable week at the Adelaide International, where she arrived as the top seed and lived up to her favourite status with comfortable victories on her way to the trophy. The 18-year-old star conceded just 15 games across four matches — an average of under two games per set — as she claimed the title, eliminating rivals such as Maya Joint and Diana Shnaider along the way.

Andreeva then dispatched Victoria Mboko without complications in an all-teenage final, winning 6-3, 6-1. After lifting the trophy, she shared her joy on social media, posting: “Thank you Adelaide🥰🤭” alongside her new trophy.

The young Russian-born player now prepares for her Australian Open debut, where she is seeded eighth and emerges as one of the names to watch in the title race. However, she faces a tough first-round draw against Paris 2024 silver medallist Donna Vekic — arguably one of the trickiest unseeded opponents in the field. Andreeva will debut on Monday, January 19, looking to improve on her 2025 Australian Open run, where she reached the fourth round before being eliminated by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko also shared a few words on social media despite the disappointment of her loss in the Adelaide final. After starting strongly and leading 3-0, the Canadian lost control of the match as Andreeva went on to win 12 of the next 13 games to secure the title.

It marked the third final defeat of Mboko’s career, after having previously claimed titles at the 2025 Canadian Open and the Hong Kong Open. Mboko now prepares for her Australian Open debut at the Happy Slam, where she is seeded 17th and considered one of the players to watch in the tournament.

She will make her debut on Monday against 17-year-old Emerson Jones, a local wildcard who is emerging as one of the great hopes of Australian tennis. Jones is a former junior World No. 1 and the runner-up at the 2025 Australian Open junior event.

In the lead-up to the Australian Open, a gathering of Lacoste’s biggest stars took place at Melbourne Park, with the brand’s main ambassadors posing for official photoshoots. Among those in attendance was 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

The 10-time Australian Open champion later shared images from the occasion on his social media, as he prepares for his return to competition at his first tournament of the year. Djokovic is set to debut against Spain’s Pedro Martínez. The Serbian also posted photos alongside Grigor Dimitrov and Daniil Medvedev — two other major figures on the men’s tour who are also Lacoste ambassadors.

Also present at the occasion was young German player Eva Lys — one of Lacoste’s newest additions to the tennis world. She joined the brand in 2025 following a breakthrough season and growing recognition on tour.

The World No. 39 took advantage of the opportunity to snap selfies with some of the biggest names in tennis and appeared smiling on social media in a selfie alongside Djokovic and Dimitrov during the Melbourne event. “One GOAT, one legend and one rookie 🐊,” posted the 24-year-old German star.

The start of the Australian Open season also featured the launch of the Alex de Minaur Foundation in Melbourne, taking advantage of the days leading up to the first Grand Slam of the year. World No. 7 De Minaur attended the launch alongside his fiancée Katie Boulter.

The foundation aims to support the sporting development of children and young people in Australia. The British player shared several photos from the special occasion on social media, posting: “The best night supporting you 🤍”.

Another Australian active on social media during the day was former Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, who will not be competing in the singles main draw at this year’s Australian Open. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old shared several photos from his day at Melbourne Park, where he was on court enjoying the crowd as he prepares for his return in the doubles draw.

Kyrgios will once again team up with compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis — who is also returning after a year sidelined by injury. The duo, known as “The Special K’s,” return to the tournament they won together in 2022 and are set to make their debut on Tuesday, January 20, likely on one of the main courts. They will face fellow Australians Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka shared photos of the Australian Open jewelry she will wear during the tournament, after having already revealed her outfit days earlier. The four-time Grand Slam champion arrives in Melbourne looking to reclaim the title after falling in the 2025 final to Madison Keys — a loss that ended her 20-match winning streak at Melbourne Park.

Sabalenka once again enters as the main favourite for the title and one of the crowd favourites. While awaiting her debut, she fully unveiled her Melbourne look, including the jewelry pieces she will wear, sharing them on social media. “I am so excited to reveal my Australian Open jewelry set custom made by @materialgood 🩵,” she posted. “Last year I stumbled into @materialgood’s NYC storefront and immediately fell in love. I even bought myself a birthday present during my first visit to their store. After being a client for quite a few months, it was second nature to step into the role of jewelry ambassador with the brand.”