Tjen & Eala celebrate SEA Games glory, Draper plays for charity & Anisimova’s heartbreaking loss

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the tennis world experiences a mix of emotions, ranging from national pride to personal heartbreak. Janice Tjen and Alex Eala lit up Instagram with celebrations after securing Gold and Bronze medals respectively for Indonesia and the Philippines at the SEA Games in Thailand, while Jack Draper used his platform for a noble cause, participating in a charity event to support Alzheimer's research.

Meanwhile, other stars are balancing the pre-season grind with holiday spirit. World No. 6 Taylor Fritz shared updates on his preparation to defend the United Cup title with Team USA, while doubles No. 1 Katerina Siniakova showed off her baking skills in the kitchen ahead of Christmas. However, it wasn't all joy, as Amanda Anisimova shared a touching tribute following the heartbreaking loss of her childhood dog, Miley.

The Women's Team event at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand concluded with a massive celebration on social media, as the region's stars showed off their national pride. Janice Tjen was the center of attention for Indonesia, leading her squad to the Gold Medal. Tjen took to Instagram to share the moment of victory, posting a carousel of the entire Indonesian team biting their gold medals on the podium with the "Merah Putih" flag raised high. Her caption highlighted the collective effort needed to secure the title for her country.

Meanwhile, Alex Eala and Team Philippines secured the Bronze medal after a tough week of competition. Although the Filipina star is used to individual accolades on the WTA Tour, she embraced the team spirit, sharing candid photos with her teammates wearing their bronze medals. Eala expressed her pride in fighting alongside her compatriots, posting a heartfelt "Laban Pilipinas" message to her followers. Both stars are now shifting focus to the individual events, but for today, their feeds are full of team joy.

World No. 6 Taylor Fritz shared some photos of his preparation for the 2026 season, after finishing as American No. 1 for the third consecutive year. The 28-year-old achieved another season with great results, adding two ATP 250 titles, reaching the final at the ATP 500 Tokyo Open, and making semifinals at Wimbledon and two Masters 1000s. The American closed the year in Turin at the ATP Finals—his fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament—but could not defend the final reached a year ago, ending eliminated in the Round Robin following losses to Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur.

Fritz already has his first commitment of the season scheduled at the United Cup, where he will join Coco Gauff for the second consecutive year to lead Team USA. They arrive as first seeds and defending champions this time around—after having beaten Swiatek and Hurkacz's Poland in the final. This time they will begin their path in Group A, where they will be favorites against Argentina (with Sebastian Baez and Solana Sierra) and Spain (with Jaume Munar and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro).

Amanda Anisimova shared sad news on her social media, posting a photo carousel with her small dog, who recently passed away according to a heartfelt tribute. The World No. 4 suffered the painful loss of the dog she had owned since she was 8 years old, and did not hesitate to leave a small tribute. “My forever little angel baby 🤍 this past week has been the worst week of our lives ❤️‍🩹💔 you’ve been by my side through it all since I was 8, and always will be. Thank you for being the best dog we could ask for Miley. Love you more than words could ever describe little baby girl 🥺🤍”

Anisimova is already preparing in the off-season after playing an exhibition against Jessica Pegula in Miami, and is thinking about the 2026 season starting with the Australian swing. Her first tournament will be the Brisbane International—where she shares the draw with players like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Jessica Pegula. The American will arrive as the 4th seed at the Australian Open, being one of the favorites to take the title after reaching two consecutive major finals, and avoiding potential duels against Sabalenka or Swiatek at least until the semifinals.

Jack Draper participated in a charity activity for the Alzheimer’s Society, a cause he has supported for years, recently participating in a pickleball event. The World No. 10 is using his platform to raise awareness and funds for dementia research and support, a cause deeply personal due to his grandmother's battle with the disease, which has led him to organize fundraising walks and share his family's story.

“Tennis comes from my nana,” said Draper. “She was a tennis coach when she was younger. My mum played. I was always very fortunate in my family that it seemed like everyone could hit a tennis ball. Me and my brother played when we were young. She was always our biggest fan along with my granddad. Very, very hard-working people. Just loved sport in general,” he revealed a couple of years ago to Tennis.com.

“She has lost all physicality now. She doesn’t know who anyone is. My pa (grandfather) has done an incredible job to keep her going almost. It’s a full-time job. He is essentially her carer,” the Brit No. 1 added. “It has definitely been really difficult for all of us. That’s why I think it’s important that this is something I want to do. Be an ambassador and support the Alzheimer’s Society. It is something that comes from my heart.”

Katerina Siniakova is already feeling the Christmas spirit and shared a video of herself baking traditional Christmas cookies while preparing for the holidays in Czechia. The doubles World No. 1 recently received the "Zlatý kanár" in Přerov, once again named the best doubles player in her country at the traditional Czech gala.

While enjoying some time at home, the 10-time Grand Slam champion is preparing for a new 2026 season, in which she will seek to regain positions in the singles ranking and maintain her dominance in doubles, where she finished as No. 1 for the 5th time in her career. Her first big challenge will be the Australian Open, where she was champion in 2025 alongside Taylor Townsend.

“Have a nice next Advent Sunday and how is it at your home? Are you ready for your sweets yet? ☺️” posted the 29-year-old Czech on her social media alongside a video of her cooking.