Swiatek and Eala embrace exhibitions, Fernandez puts in work in Spain as Kostyuk enjoys family time

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the end of the year is approaching, and players are taking advantage of their final off-season days while packing for Australia to begin the new season. Iga Swiatek is competing at the World Tennis Continental Cup in China as her last exhibition event before the tour begins, while Filipina Alexandra Eala is participating in the MGM Macau Tennis Masters.

Meanwhile, Leylah Fernandez shared a video of her pre-season training days in Spain before heading to Oceania. Australian star Maya Joint and Marta Kostyuk also posted photos from their days off before returning to full professional activity on the tennis courts.

Leylah Fernandez shared a new video update on her social media platforms, providing a glimpse into her activities during the holiday break. The reel captures moments from her off-season preparations in Malaga, Spain, where she is refining the final details of her game before traveling to Australia. She is set to compete in the Brisbane International and Adelaide International before heading to Melbourne for the first major of the year, the Australian Open.

Heading into the 2026 season, Fernandez is focused on climbing back toward the top of the WTA rankings following a solid 2025 campaign. Last year, she secured her first WTA 500 title at the DC Open and recovered her ranking position to finish the year at No. 22. The 23-year-old hopes to take a step forward this season and establish herself as a contender for major titles once again, similar to her breakout performance at the 2021 US Open.

Iga Swiatek shared updates from Shenzhen, China, where she is currently headlining the inaugural World Tennis Continental Cup. Representing Team Europe, the Polish star posted photos from the mixed-team exhibition event, where she successfully opened her campaign with a straight-sets victory over Team World's Elena Rybakina.

The World No. 2 is using this tournament as her primary warm-up for the 2026 season, specifically targeting preparation for the Australian Open. Swiatek is scheduled to face local favorite Xinyu Wang in her next match as Team Europe looks to maintain their lead over Team World. This will be her final exhibition appearance before traveling to Perth to compete in the United Cup, where she will join Hubert Hurkacz in an attempt to improve upon their performances from the last two seasons.

Maya Joint shared a series of photos recapping her 2025 season, offering a glimpse into the most significant year of her young career. The World No. 32 is preparing for the start of the season with the difficult mission of leading the Australian contingent heading into the first major of the year. The 19-year-old has become the Australian No. 1 and will represent her country for the first time at the upcoming United Cup, joining ATP World No. 7 Alex de Minaur.

This event will be her only preparation tournament before the Australian Open, where she will be the only seeded local player in the women's draw. Although she was eliminated in the first round in 2025, she enters this year with two titles to her name. Joint aims to begin rewriting the future of Australian tennis, which has been searching for a new leader since the retirement of three-time major champion Ash Barty.

Alex Eala is currently in Macau to participate in the MGM Macau Tennis Masters, an exhibition event taking place from December 27 to 28. This tournament serves as her final competitive appearance of the 2025 season following her recent gold medal victory at the Southeast Asian Games. She is scheduled to play in both mixed doubles and singles matches, representing Team Li Na.

In the mixed doubles category, Eala will partner with Chinese player Jerry Shang to face the team of Mirra Andreeva and Wu Yibing. Her singles match will also be against Andreeva, marking a rematch between the two young stars who last faced each other in the 2022 US Open Juniors. This event is part of her preparation for the upcoming Australian Open in January 2026, where she aims to build on her current world ranking.

Marta Kostyuk was seen enjoying a festive moment with her younger sister, Zoryana, during the tennis off-season. This break comes as players around the world celebrate the holidays before the start of the 2026 tour. Zoryana is also a tennis player, and the sisters have frequently appeared together on social media during their time away from professional competition.

Kostyuk is currently preparing for the Australian swing after a 2025 season where she maintained a position within the world's top 30. Although she expressed some frustration with her results in major tournaments earlier in the year, she recently secured a win in an exhibition match against Magda Linette in December. She will soon return to the court to begin her campaign for the Australian Open.