"Still waiting for those Spanish words" and "You're the best": The banter between Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz after US Open mixed doubles; Djokovic and Sabalenka have fun on the Central Court

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the US Open mixed doubles were the highlight of the day, with Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu having playful interactions on social media after their joint appearance—despite being eliminated in the first round. In the same way, Karolina Muchova posted some photos on social media of her time in the doubles draw with Andrey Rublev.

Meanwhile, the entertainment begins at the Arthur Ashe Stadium ahead of the singles draw, and Novak Djokovic had a fun encounter with his friend Aryna Sabalenka, once again showing the great relationship they have beyond the courts, joking during the training session. Additionally, Daniil Medvedev gave details of his "McMeddy Order," while Caroline Garcia celebrated one month since her marriage.

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu were probably the most anticipated duo at the Arthur Ashe Stadium for mixed doubles, where both former US Open champions teamed up. The change in format attracted several of the singles tour's big stars, and the pairing of the Spaniard and the Brit was undoubtedly the one that stole the most attention amid rumors of possibly something more than just a friendship. Although both players have stated they are just good friends, their good rapport was evident in their match against Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, where they ended up being eliminated in their first appearance together.

Both players shared photos on their social media afterward with kind words for their teammate. Emma Raducanu posted: "this is crazy!! @carlitosalcarazz 🎊🤩 thanks partner, had so much fun," receiving a response from the five-time Grand Slam champion, "Still waiting for those Spanish words…😝 Thank you partner! ❤🙏🏽"

"That was fun @emmaraducanu! 🤝🏻🤩" Alcaraz posted a few hours later on his own Instagram along with another set of photos with Raducanu. "Eres el mejor!! 🦸🏻‍♂️🪄🥳" (You're the best!) the player from London replied.

Another duo that had an interesting participation was the Russian Andrey Rublev with the Czech Karolina Muchova. The European pair eliminated Reilly Opelka and the seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the first round but ended up falling to the doubles specialists Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, the defending champions and first seeds of the draw. Still, the Czech player, a singles semifinalist in 2024, posted some photos with her unexpected partner, thanking him for the fun time they had on the court: "Doubles the chaos, doubles the fun 😝 Thanks for playing @andreyrublev," the former French Open finalist posted.

This Thursday, some of the tournament's biggest stars appeared at the Arthur Ashe Stadium for a morning practice session with the public. Those who undoubtedly stole the attention were the meeting of the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic with the three-time major champion Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian joked around, acting as a ball kid during Djokovic's practice session with Holger Rune on the main court, and they shared a friendly greeting between two players who know what it is to lift the title at Flushing Meadows—Nole with four titles and Sabalenka with one in 2024.

Both players have shown a close friendship recently, expressing mutual admiration and having several funny interactions on social media, where they have even trained together. In fact, the Serb recently announced his association with Georgios Frangulis, Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend, for the purchase of Le Mans FC, a club that plays in the second division of France and which they now co-own with former F-1 drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen.

The Belarusian is the tournament's defending champion and one of the stars who has attracted the most public attention, being a favorite everywhere she travels. The world No. 1 later participated in promotional activities for the tournament and joked with her Italian colleague Lorenzo Musetti, currently No. 10 in the ATP Ranking, in photos that were circulated on social media.

Caroline Garcia shared a series of photos celebrating a month since she married her long-time partner Borja Duran, in a ceremony held a month ago. The French tennis player is about to turn a new page in her life after announcing her retirement, so she will play her last Grand Slam draw at the US Open, where she received a wild card.

The former world No. 4 shared several photos of her wedding day on social media as she prepares for a final professional commitment as part of her retirement at age 31.

Daniil Medvedev stole the show in a funny US Open video where he admitted to being a big fan of McDonald's. The former world No. 1 revealed his usual order at the fast-food giant: “Six Nuggets, a hamburger or cheeseburger… apple pie is not bad and then for sure Oreo McFlurry, that’s like, that’s the most important one. And maybe something else, something seasonal.”

The 2021 US Open champion participated this Wednesday in the US Open mixed doubles, teaming up with his compatriot Mirra Andreeva, having a more than worthy performance, as they overcame their debut against the Serbs Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic. However, the Russian duo could do little in the quarterfinals against Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula and were eliminated in their second match. Medvedev is preparing to play in the singles draw, where he will be the 13th seed.