Daily Dose of Social Media: Eugenie Bouchard hospitalised after pickleball accident, Elena Rybakina teams up with Goran Ivanisevic

Emma Raducanu surprises by wearing a shirt honouring Rafael Nadal during her preseason training, while Nick Kyrgios is already in Brisbane, with the first images of his training emerging. All this and more in a new Daily Dose of Social Media.

Meanwhile, Goran Ivanisevic, former Novak Djokovic coach, has joined Elena Rybakina in Dubai as they prepare for the new season. On the other hand, Eugenie Bouchard shared on social media the incident that landed her in the hospital after a pickleball training session.

Raducanu pays tribute to Nadal during preseason training

Emma Raducanu turned heads on social media by paying homage to Rafael Nadal with a special shirt during her latest training session. The 2021 US Open champion is preparing for the upcoming season, aiming to regain her best form after climbing from outside the top 300 to finish the year ranked No. 54.

The former world No. 10 shared several recent preseason photos from London, including one featuring a Nike shirt with the phrase "It only takes everything." The shirt was designed to honour Rafael Nadal during his farewell tournament at last year’s Davis Cup Finals.

At just 22 years old, Raducanu seems poised to take another leap forward on the Tour. The British No. 2 impressed at the Billie Jean King Cup, securing three consecutive wins. She continues to work hard to overcome injuries, recently adding conditioning coach Yutaka Nakamura to her team for 2025.

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Bouchard injured in pickleball training incident, hospitalised with eye injury

Eugenie Bouchard found herself in an unusual predicament after being hospitalised following a pickleball training session. The former Wimbledon runner-up has partly shifted her focus to competing in the PPA Tour for pickleball, where she has achieved notable results. The sport, a hybrid of tennis played in a smaller area with a plastic ball, unfortunately led to an injury when a ball struck her in the face during practice.

“I got hit in the eye with a pickleball during training today,” she posted. “It was a shank off my partner’s paddle straight into the eye. Went to urgent care and have a scratched cornea. The things we do for this sport! Will be healed in a matter of days.”

The former world No. 5 shared two photos alongside her update: a selfie showing her visibly injured left eye and another with a patch after receiving medical care. For now, Bouchard plans to continue balancing her careers in both tennis and pickleball, attending events in both sports as her schedule allows.

“Juggling both tennis and pickleball is no easy feat, and Bouchard is carefully planning her schedule to manage the dual commitment. She's striving to maintain a sensible calendar but remains uncertain about how long she can sustain the balance,” she commented a few weeks ago.

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Viral video features Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi among the ‘most athletic couples’

A TikTok by the Broadcast Boys has gone viral, delivering its verdict on the four most athletic couples, featuring several tennis stars in the rankings. Among them is the legendary duo of Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi. Both former world No. 1s in their respective tours and holders of a combined 30 Grand Slam titles, Graf and Agassi have been married since 2001 and share two children, Jaden and Jaz.

Also included in the ranking was Danish former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and her husband, David Lee, an NBA All-Star who played 12 seasons in the league, making his mark with teams like the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, and Boston Celtics. Married in 2019, Wozniacki and Lee are parents to two children, Olivia Lee-Wozniacki and James Lee-Wozniacki.

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Goran Ivanisevic joins Elena Rybakina's team ahead of 2025 Season

Goran Ivanisevic appeared in a social media video, seemingly coaching his new protégé, Elena Rybakina, although the 2022 Wimbledon champion herself was not visible in the footage. Recently, Sam Sumyk, coach of French player Arthur Cazaux, mentioned that Ivanisevic had been training with Rybakina in Dubai for the past few days.

Rybakina has surprised many by adding former Novak Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic to her team, marking his debut as a coach on the WTA Tour. This partnership seems promising, as Rybakina has already proven herself a Grand Slam champion but needs to rebuild her confidence ahead of the 2025 season.

This year, despite a strong start with impressive results, injuries and alleged issues with her previous coach affected her performance. Nonetheless, the Kazakh star qualified for the WTA Finals, finished the year ranked World No. 6, and secured three titles.

Kyrgios prepares for return after two-year hiatus

Nick Kyrgios is already training in Brisbane as he gears up for his return to the Tour. The Australian has played only one match in the past two seasons, back in mid-2023, and although there were rumours of a potential retirement, he returns with high ambitions, making his Tour debut at the upcoming Brisbane International.

The former Wimbledon runner-up appears to have overcome a severe knee injury and aims to quickly regain his competitive rhythm. Kyrgios entered Brisbane using a protected ranking, and it will be the only preparatory tournament he plays before heading to Melbourne to prepare for the Australian Open.

In Brisbane, he will share the draw with players like Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune, and Grigor Dimitrov. Kyrgios has also confirmed that he will not only participate in the singles draw at the Aussie Open but will reunite with Thanasi Kokkinakis in doubles, with whom he won the title back in 2022.

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