Sabalenka picks Badosa as her dream salsa partner, Alcaraz goes bold with throwback style, Del Potro and Thiem get back on courts

A new day at the US Open is underway, with Carlos Alcaraz taking the spotlight as he returns to the courts and draws attention before he even steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Spaniard is debuting a new look, straight out of the 2000s, with a close-cropped haircut and a commemorative sleeveless Nike Total 90s shirt.

Meanwhile, the friendship between some of the players is evident off the courts and on social media, with Aryna Sabalenka once again giving a shoutout to Paula Badosa—who is not in the tournament due to injury. The world No. 1 chose Badosa as her preferred partner to dance salsa. We also see images from a training session between Eva Lys and Marta Kostyuk, who are close friends. Finally, retired former US Open champions Juan Martin Del Potro and Dominic Thiem shared images on social media from their recent days, where both had the opportunity to return to the courts for different reasons.

Aryna Sabalenka has revealed who her ideal salsa dance partner would be from the Tour players. The chosen one could be no other than her close friend, Paula Badosa, who is unfortunately absent from this edition of the US Open due to a relapse of her back injury. There is still no clarity on her potential return date.

Sabalenka and Badosa have often shown their great off-court relationship as close friends who also share a passion for dancing. Sabalenka recently won her first-round match by defeating Switzerland's Rebeka Masarova (7-5, 6-1) and will return to the courts on Wednesday to face Russia's Polina Kudermetova.

Carlos Alcaraz surprised fans with a new look upon his arrival at Flushing Meadows to prepare for his return to the courts at the US Open. The world No. 2 will face local player Reilly Opelka in the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and as he has done for every Grand Slam, he surprised everyone with a new style. What's striking is that this time—for the first time in his career—we see a completely shaven-headed Alcaraz, innovating with a look never seen before. The Spaniard also wore a sleeveless Nike 'Total 90s' shirt—a full throwback to the early 2000s for the 22-year-old tennis player. Will this new look be a good luck charm for the five-time Grand Slam champion?

Juan Martín Del Potro was one of the big guest stars at the US Open's "Fan Week," participating in one of the pre-tournament exhibitions and spending time at Flushing Meadows, something he has been doing in recent years. The 2009 US Open champion partnered with João Fonseca, the new South American star, for an exciting generational doubles match. They faced off against American Andy Roddick and his partner in an event that filled fans with nostalgia.

In a social media post, the Argentine thanked the crowd for the immense affection he received upon returning to the tournament that most defined his career, reaffirming the special bond he has with the New York fans.

Dominic Thiem participated in a special tennis session as part of his collaboration with the charity project, Viprize. The winner of a contest got to train with the former world No. 3 in a campaign to support an Austrian foundation for children with cancer. As part of a fundraising effort, the contest winner had the opportunity for a personalized tennis session with the recently retired Thiem, who posted a series of photos on his social media to commemorate the moment he shared with the fan.

"Since April, I’ve been working on a special charity project with @viprize - supporting St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research!" the former US Open champion posted. "Recently, I got to hit the court with the winner of the project - such a fun tennis session!"

A video on social media captured a training session of Marta Kostyuk and Eva Lys, two players who share a close friendship off the court. The video shows both WTA stars having fun during a high-intensity training session on the courts of Flushing Meadows. Both players are preparing to make their debuts this Tuesday, and coincidentally, both will face British players: Lys will challenge Francesca Jones, while Kostyuk (27th seed) will star in one of the day's most attractive matchups against British No. 2 Katie Boulter.

“Life goals: practice with your bestie at a slam ”

The 23-year-old German star is looking to have another good Grand Slam performance, following her notable campaign at the Australian Open earlier this season. She entered the main draw there as a lucky loser and managed to advance all the way to the fourth round before falling to Iga Swiatek.

Lys posted a series of photos from her first days in New York ahead of her US Open debut, where she will look to maintain her impeccable 2025 record. So far this year, she has advanced past the first round in all three Grand Slams and every WTA 1000 main draw she has played—a truly remarkable feat for a player who, before this season, only had one Grand Slam main draw win and none at the WTA 1000 level.