Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Jannik Sinner came to support Italy in the Davis Cup and joked with Matteo Berrettini before securing a victory for the defending champions.
Amanda Anisimova shared photos with Emma Raducanu and Priscilla Hon ahead of their debut at the Korea Open, while Stefanos Tsitsipas enjoyed some time off before the Laver Cup and was a guest at Genoa's last Serie A match, where he took some free kicks in front of the fans before the game.
Just a few days ago, a luxury exhibition was confirmed between Ben Shelton (No. 17) and Carlos Alcaraz (No. 3) at Madison Square Garden in New York. Both young stars will be the main attraction of an event that will also feature notable American players Jessica Pegula (No. 3) and Emma Navarro (No. 8).
Shelton has faced Alcaraz once before, at the 2023 Canadian Open, where the Spaniard took the win 6-3, 7-6. In the case of the female players, Pegula leads the head-to-head 2-0. "The Garden Cup" will bring these four players together on December 4th at the iconic venue where the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL) usually play.
Meanwhile, Shelton took the opportunity to tease his upcoming participation in the event with a photo outside Madison Square Garden, next to an exhibition billboard: "Let’s light it up @thegarden I hope to see an electric New York crowd come out to support on December 4th."
Stefanos Tsitsipas surprised fans in Italy by hitting some free kicks before the Serie A match between Genoa and Roma. The Greek tennis player was dressed in Genoa’s kit and showed impressive skills, taking several shots as the local crowd cheered his goals in the pre-match event.
The world No. 12 was not alone at the event, as his girlfriend, Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa, was also present as a spectator. Genoa’s official accounts shared videos of the Greek's visit to the Luigi Ferraris stadium, where the match ended in a draw with a last-minute goal for the home team.
È buono il nuovo acquisto del Genoa? È greco 🇬🇷 Tifosissimo del Grifone da quando lo sceglieva alla PlayStation con il padre, Stefanos Tsitsipas è andato a far visita al Ferraris, ospite d'onore del pre-partita di #GenoaRoma insieme alla compagna Paula Badosa 🔴🔵
Stefanos Tsitsipas hitting some free kicks before the Serie A match between Genoa and Roma Not bad at all!
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was present to support Team Italy on the final day of the Davis Cup, where they secured their qualification for the tournament’s Finals. Sinner wasn’t part of the squad as he opted to take a short break after an intense season, having already played 60 matches in the last 8 months.
Sinner was the main leader in securing Italy's Davis Cup title last year, including a crucial victory over Djokovic in the semifinals. Although he wasn’t playing this time, Sinner visited the Unipol Arena in Bologna to show his support for his team. Led by Matteo Berrettini, Italy secured their spot in the Finals.
Both Italian tennis stars shared a light-hearted moment before the series began, with a fun video showing the former World No. 6 joking around with Sinner. The 2-time Grand Slam champion also met with Italy’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, Tathiana Garbin, and later joined the Italian team on the bench during the matches, celebrating with them. Check out the best moments from Sinner’s visit to support Italy.
Matteo Berrettini did the Jannik Sinner celebration at the Davis Cup 😂🥶
Loro 🦊x🔨 💙
Amanda Anisimova shared photos with Emma Raducanu and Priscilla Hon as they await their debut at the Korea Open. The American made a strong impression during the hardcourt swing, reaching her first WTA 1000 final, and despite early exits in Cincinnati and the US Open, she has returned to the top 50 and appears in great form for the season’s final stretch.
Similarly, Raducanu was eliminated early at Flushing Meadows, but she has climbed to No. 72, with a solid 18-12 record this season. Both Raducanu and Anisimova will debut on Monday in the main draw, while Hon has already registered wins by advancing through qualifying and will also debut on Monday. The shared photos on social media showed the three players smiling together.
Jack Draper expressed his disappointment on social media about the Davis Cup elimination and thanked the Manchester crowd for their support during the Group Stage. Although Great Britain had a strong start by defeating Finland 2-1, their loss to Argentina in the second match proved costly for the European team.
Draper played his first match against Argentina and was surprised by Francisco Cerundolo. In the final series, they needed a 3-0 win against Canada and hoped to surpass the South Americans in terms of sets won. Unfortunately for the British, they fell 2-1 to Canada (including Draper's loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime), leaving them unable to advance to the Finals.
Great Britain was the only team to be eliminated from the group stage while playing at home. Draper ends this Davis Cup with two losses but thanked the support received on social media: "Thank you Manchester!!! Gutted we couldn’t get the win, but it means so much to represent my country. I’ll have many more opportunities I hope!"
Novak Djokovic led Serbia to victory over Greece in the Davis Cup and congratulated his compatriot Filip Krajinovic on social media. The 24-time Grand Slam champion secured a singles win 6-0, 6-1 against Ioannis Xilas (No. 770) and teamed up with Hamad Medjedovic in doubles on Sunday to close out the tie and advance to the qualifiers for the next Davis Cup.
In addition to their win that secures their place in the qualifiers for the next Davis Cup Group Stage, the Serbian team was supported by former world No. 26 Filip Krajinovic, who confirmed his retirement from professional tennis at the recent US Open.
The now former player, aged 32, made his debut with Team Serbia in 2014 and ended with a record of 11-9 in both singles and doubles. Krajinovic received a tribute from the audience in Belgrade, and Nole joined the celebrations from his social media.
Сјајан дан за Србију и испраћај нашег пријатеља @filipkrajinovic. Такође молитве да се Дуци @Dutzee опорави што пре 🙏 🇷🇸🙌💪
