Top 20 star reveals engagement, Eala standout in ‘mixed doubles’ as Ruud ramps up for the Australian season

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, Top 20 WTA star Liudmila Samsonova announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend and coach, Alessandro Dumitrache. The world number 17 shared the personal milestone following a season highlighted by her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. Meanwhile, Alexandra Eala captured attention during her appearance in the mixed doubles at the MGM Macau Tennis Masters, where she was curiously the only woman on court after a late lineup change.

The preseason intensity continues as Casper Ruud shared a video of his rigorous training sessions in Norway ahead of the Australian swing. The Norwegian is preparing to lead his nation at the United Cup following a 2025 season of mixed results. Additionally, Katie Boulter and Alex De Minaur posted new photos of their family Christmas celebrations before traveling to Australia, where De Minaur will compete for the title and Boulter will navigate the qualifying rounds to rebuild her ranking.

World number 17 Liudmila Samsonova has accepted a marriage proposal from her boyfriend and coach, Alessandro Dumitrache. The 27-year-old athlete announced the news by sharing a photograph from an airplane on social media, which displayed an engagement ring on her hand. She captioned the image with a message about beginning a new chapter and tagged Dumitrache, with whom she has been in a relationship since 2020.

Samsonova holds five WTA titles to date. Her 2025 season highlights included reaching the final of the Strasbourg Open, where she lost to Elena Rybakina, and making semifinal appearances in Adelaide and Berlin. The Russian player also achieved a significant milestone by reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon, where she was defeated by the eventual champion, Iga Swiatek.

Katie Boulter shared photographs of her Christmas celebrations with family and her fiancé, world number 7 Alex De Minaur. The couple, who have been engaged for nearly a year, are spending their final days of the off-season together before traveling for the upcoming tournaments in Australia. In her post, Boulter jokingly noted that it took six years to capture De Minaur out of character.

De Minaur is scheduled to compete in the United Cup, while Boulter faces a different path to the Australian Open. Following a drop in her rankings that has placed her outside the top 100, the British player must compete in the qualifying rounds for both the WTA 250 event in Auckland and the Australian Open.

Casper Ruud shared a video of his preseason training, demonstrating the intensity of his physical preparation ahead of the start of the new competitive year. In the video, the Norwegian tennis player appears in a court practice session, refining his shots and movements from Norway before traveling to Australia. Ruud has been combining gym work with on-court sessions, focusing on arriving in optimal condition for the first Grand Slam of the calendar.

The player approaches the Australian swing with the goal of consolidating his game on fast surfaces and defending the points obtained in the previous season. After a 2025 of ups and downs, Ruud seeks to regain his best level and compete for major titles, starting his campaign at the United Cup. He will join Malene Helgo in Group D, where they will face Australia, featuring Alex De Minaur and Maya Joint, and the Czech Republic, led by Jakub Mensik and Barbora Krejcikova.

Alexandra Eala made history at the Macau Tennis Masters by becoming the only female player on court during an unusual mixed doubles match. Due to a last-minute withdrawal by Mirra Andreeva due to illness, Wu Yibing joined Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to face the pair consisting of Eala and Shang Juncheng. Despite the physical disparity, the 20-year-old Filipina maintained a high competitive level, eventually falling in a tight match that ended 7-5, 7-6(1) in favor of the all-male duo.

The young tennis player is currently in the best form of her career following an exceptional 2025 season in which she broke into the top 50 of the WTA rankings for the first time. Her recent milestones include her first professional title, reaching the final at the Eastbourne Open, and a semifinal appearance at the Miami Open. Following her performance in Macau, where she received praise from her male colleagues for her return quality and two-handed backhand, Eala is preparing for an individual matchup against Andreeva before heading to the 2026 Australian swing.

United Cup stars have begun arriving in Australia, with several players receiving warm welcomes at the airport. Tournament organizers presented quokka plush toys to arriving athletes, and a recent video captured the reactions of Swiss player Stan Wawrinka and Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas as they accepted the unique gifts. Both players expressed their gratitude for the gesture as they prepare to start their competitive seasons in the team event.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka also received the commemorative present upon her arrival for her debut appearance in the tournament. Osaka, who will team up with Shintaro Mochizuki, has previously demonstrated her interest in popular culture and collectibles, such as the Labubu charms seen on her outfits during the last US Open. Her past tournament appearances have also been noted for paying tribute to tennis legends like Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe through her custom attire.