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.
Shelton
anticipates exciting showdown with Alcaraz at Madison Square
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."
Tsitsipas impresses
with free kicks at Genoa vs. Roma match in Italy
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.
Sinner jokes with Berrettini and supports Italy
from the stands
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.
Anisimova shares
smiles with Raducanu and Hon ahead of Korea Open
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.
Draper thanks
local crowd after Davis Cup exit: "Gutted we couldn't win"
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 pays tribute to Filip Krajinovic after Davis Cup victory
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.
