Daily Dose of Social Media: Paolini & Errani honour Rafael Nadal, Anisimova's emotional reaction to First WTA 1000 Title

This Saturday marked the conclusion of the WTA 1000 Doha Open, with Amanda Anisimova crowned as the champion. In doubles, the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini celebrated another title as partners, continuing to establish themselves among the top doubles teams at the moment.

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we take a look at the emotional reactions of the champions, with the Italians even paying tribute to Rafa Nadal and receiving congratulations from Matteo Berrettini. Meanwhile, Serena Williams makes a reappearance following her Super Bowl appearance, and Nick Kyrgios slams Sinner again.

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini crowned doubles champions in Doha

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini claimed the Qatar Total Energies Open 2025 doubles title, marking their first WTA title of the year and Errani’s sixth career doubles title. The Italian duo triumphed at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, securing the first WTA 1000 event of the season.

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The Italians defeated China’s Xinyu Jiang and Taiwan’s Fang-Hsien Wu 7-5, 7-6(10) in a hard-fought final. Both sets required remarkable comebacks from Errani and Paolini, as they trailed 3-5 in both sets. They saved two set points in the opener and battled through a tense tiebreak in the second set, winning 12-10 after fending off six match points. The match also featured a rain delay at 8-8 in the second-set tiebreak, adding another layer of suspense.

Paolini expressed her excitement after the match: “I’m so, so happy. It was a tough match. Congrats to them, they’re playing amazing. They already won two titles. Congrats to you both, you played really well… it’s tough. Doubles is a bit tricky. We had to focus. Yesterday we were a bit lucky. Today maybe a bit as well. I have to thank Sara too, of course.”

To which Errani responded: “Something tells me that at 37 years old, this is the sweetest one, isn’t it?”

Errani also reflected on the special moment: “It’s very special. I won here twelve years ago… it’s been a long time. I’m very happy to play with Jasmine. We’re enjoying ourselves a lot and having fun, which is the most important thing.”

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The Italians also paid tribute to 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal by celebrating with a trophy bite, just as the now-retired Spanish legend used to do. Even fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini joined the celebrations, taking a moment to congratulate the doubles champions.

Anisimova emotional after winning first WTA 1000 title

Amanda Anisimova wins the biggest title of her career at the Doha Open. The 23-year-old American impressed with her resurgence in tennis, claiming her first WTA 1000 title by defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-3 in the final.

In 2023, Anisimova stepped away from the sport to prioritize her mental and physical health after struggling with multiple injuries. She returned in 2024, slowly and steadily working her way back to form, and in 2025, she has now secured her first WTA 1000 title.

Starting Monday, she will make her debut in the top 20, proving that perseverance and resilience can lead to success. Pausing her career did not mean the end of it.

The final against Ostapenko was a tough battle, further complicated by rain delays. The first set was halted at 2-2 before Anisimova eventually took it 6-4, breaking Ostapenko twice. The second set faced similar disruptions, with play stopping at 3-3 due to rain. Once again, Anisimova handled the restart better, closing the match with a 6-3 win. Her emotions said it all.

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Serena Williams fuels speculation with stylish new post following Kendrick Lamar show

Serena Williams posts beautiful images wearing a brown crop top and a beige skirt, as well as the same top paired with a ruffled skirt, captioning the post: “the look before the lewk.” It’s worth remembering that the former tennis star recently made an appearance at the Super Bowl, dancing during Kendrick Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us.”

Her participation in the show reignited long-standing rumours linking her to rapper Drake. These rumours date back to 2011, though neither party ever confirmed a relationship. However, various public appearances and references in Drake’s music have kept the speculation alive.

The rumours first started when Williams’ coach appeared in the music video for “Worst Behavior,” followed by multiple sightings of Drake attending WTA tournaments, cheering on the American star from the stands. This year, speculation resurfaced after Williams’ cameo in Lamar’s performance, given his ongoing feud with Drake and the direct jabs in the song’s lyrics. Many saw her presence as a symbolic statement.

Williams addressed her appearance with the following message on social media: “When Kendrick Lamar and his team called and said, ‘We’ve been trying to do something forever, how about this? We loved your Crip Walk at the Olympics after winning gold.’ And I was like, ‘The Super Bowl? Seriously? When else would I get to dance at a Super Bowl? (Never) Let’s do it!’ I knew my Olympic victory dance would pay off one day. End of story.”

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Nick Kyrgios slams Sinner again

Nick Kyrgios takes another shot at Jannik Sinner on social media after it was revealed that the World No. 1 accepted a three-month suspension. Sinner will be sidelined for the next few months and will only return in May for the Rome Open, meaning he will miss tournaments like Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Monte-Carlo Masters, as well as the Qatar Open, from which he recently withdrew.

The Australian remains Sinner’s harshest critic and did not miss the opportunity to attack the Italian in another chapter of his doping controversy.

"So you were innocent and we were getting fed that you were innocent but now you are suspended from playing the sport? Make it make sense. I’ve got multiple players in my DM’s on how putrid this is 😂 even Grand Slam champions. Cooked 🧢"

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