Daily Dose of Social Media: Carlos Alcaraz’s kind gesture leaves young fan overwhelmed, Djokovic cheering Danilovic

Carlos Alcaraz shared a moment with a young fan who stole the spotlight from the crowd due to his excitement at meeting the world No. 3, a moment we reviewed in a new Daily Dose of Social Media. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic was seen cheering for his compatriot Olga Danilovic in her victory over Jessica Pegula.

On the other hand, Naomi Osaka's injury withdrawal was one of the sad news of the day, and she received messages of support from her coach Patrick Mouratoglou and a classy gesture from her rival Belinda Bencic. At the same time, the blooper of the day was protagonized by Madison Keys' ‘backflip’ in the official broadcasts.

“My day has gone perfect!”: Carlos Alcaraz brings joy to young ball boy at Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz had a special gesture with a young ball boy at the Australian Open. The Spanish tennis player advanced to the fourth round of the tournament after defeating Nuno Borges, at which point he met one of his biggest fans: a boy working as a ball boy at the tournament who got to toss the coin for the match draw between Alcaraz and Borges. On the court, John could be seen jumping and shouting with excitement at the presence of the world No. 3.

“My name is John Jones and my day has gone absolutely perfect!” the young fan said in a social media video afterward.

“Would you say that this is the happiest day of your life?” they asked John. The excited boy replied, “I’m happy, happy, happy! Excited, excited, happy happy.” John couldn’t control his excitement in a sweet moment that filled social media with positive comments.

After the match, John had the chance to meet the 4-time Grand Slam champion up close, as Carlos invited him to the press conference with him, then took photos and chatted kindly with John and his family.

“If you went on your Instagram, like the comments, the likes, the views. Everybody loves me!” the young fan said sweetly.

“I just like the way he hits the racquet and the way he focuses,” the young fan commented. “He is really kind. Thanks Carlos, you’re really kind, I really want to see you another time, bye!” he added at the end of the video.

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Novak Djokovic cheers on Olga Danilovic After Her Career-Best Victory

Olga Danilovic was one of the stars on Friday after defeating one of the favorites, world No. 6 Jessica Pegula, in a stunning performance that sent her to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time in her career. The 23-year-old had a luxury fan, the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who was inside Melbourne Park attentively watching her match on the screens.

Danilovic shocked with a 7-6, 6-1 victory and now prepares to face Paula Badosa. It was the best win of her career for the world No. 55, who raised her arms in celebration as the crowd cheered after the match. From within the complex, Djokovic also raised his arms in the same way and showed a spontaneous reaction of joy at Danilovic’s achievement. Both had teamed up in the 2024 United Cup, leading Serbia and even playing mixed doubles.

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Madison Keys reacts to hilarious AI-generated ‘backflip’

Madison Keys shared a funny moment on social media captured by the unique broadcasts of the Australian Open. The tournament came up with an innovative solution to broadcast matches live without having the rights to do so. They installed several cameras and used artificial intelligence to recreate the players' actions and movements with a two-minute delay, through avatars similar to those of a Nintendo Wii.

While the technology is a creative innovation, being new, it still contains some glitches, such as the curious point that Keys won while facing Elena-Gabriela Ruse. During the tie-break of the first set, the Romanian hit a ball towards Keys' open forehand, forcing the American to sprint across the court. However, the camera captured her movement strangely, making it appear as though Keys was flipping in mid-air and floating upside down while Ruse made an unforced error at the net.

"Madison Keys doing a backflip mid-point to distract her opponent is honestly disgusting," posted a user on social media. Surprisingly, Keys herself shared the post later, making light of the tournament's technological mishap in a humorous blooper.

Kostyuk and Ruse show off strong bond in doubles

Marta Kostyuk was eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open after an epic clash with Paula Badosa. However, there was still a challenge to face in doubles, as she teamed up with her close friend, Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse, and they easily overcame the local duo of Maddison Inglis and Destanee Aiava in the first round.

Kostyuk and Ruse showcased their strong bond and how much they enjoy playing together. The pair had fun, joked on the changeovers, and celebrated their 6-4, 7-6 victory that sent them to the second round. Check out the video below to see the fun moments they shared during their doubles debut.

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Bencic shows class with support for Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka’s exit was one of the sad news on Friday, as the two-time Australian Open champion barely managed to finish the first set against Belinda Bencic, the former Olympic gold medalist at Tokyo 2020. In an exciting third-round duel between two players who have both reached the top and are now trying to return to their best level after taking maternity breaks.

During an emotional exit from the court, Bencic showed class by giving Osaka a hug and expressing concern for her injury. With mixed feelings, as revealed later in the press conference, the Swiss player also left a message for her rival by signing the camera of the TV broadcast with the message, “Get well soon mama.”

On the other hand, Osaka’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, shared a heartfelt message for his player, lamenting the injury-induced exit of the former world No. 1. Remember, Mouratoglou has been working with Osaka for a few months now after she parted ways with Wim Fissette (currently Swiatek’s coach) and hired the former Serena Williams’ coach.

“Sad to finish a tournament this way, even more a Grand Slam. You did everything you could fighting with injury since round 1. You can be proud of yourself @naomiosaka. Let’s take the time to heal and come back even stronger!”

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