Daily Dose of Social Media: Hilarious Aryna Sabalenka’s mishap, Jannik Sinner behind the scenes at the Australian Open

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we see how players take advantage of moments off-court to have fun and share time with those close to them. Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka starred in fun moments in the Melbourne Park gym, captured by the Australian Open cameras, while Novak Djokovic had a special encounter with his children after defeating Jaime Faria.

On the other hand, Jannik Sinner shared some scenes from his training routine before facing the second round, while Joao Fonseca joined his brother Leo to showcase their football skills.

Sabalenka’s Gym Mishap: The Hilarious Moment with the Stick

Aryna Sabalenka had a hilarious blooper of the day in a video captured in the gym, where she was playfully spinning a stick (about 1,2 mts) between her hands The world No. 1 was joking around after her gym session when she approached a team member to show off her skills, twirling the stick like a lightsaber or like a Kung Fu Panda master. However, things didn’t go as planned. As she approached, the stick slipped from her hands and hit her right leg. The 3-time Grand Slam champion could be seen laughing and lamenting the accidental knee knock.

Sabalenka is now preparing for her third-round match at the Australian Open, where she’s currently on a 7-match winning streak to start the season. The 2-time defending champion has achieved 15 consecutive wins at Melbourne Park and will face Denmark's Clara Tauson on Friday.

Recently, Sabalenka received some good news as her likely quarterfinal opponent, world No. 5 Zheng Qinwen, was unexpectedly eliminated, potentially clearing the way for Sabalenka, who had been facing the highest-ranked rival in her section of the draw. “It turns out the women’s World No. 1 hasn’t mastered everything just yet 🤷‍♀️”

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Sinner prepares for second round: Fans fet a glimpse of his routine

Jannik Sinner shared a video as he prepares for his second-round match at the Australian Open. The defending champion gave fans a glimpse into his recent preparation as he traveled in the car. "First match, good match, it was very tough. Now we go to practice," the Italian said as he headed to the training court. The 2-time Grand Slam champion was then seen hitting on the practice court before signing autographs for the fans who had gathered to watch him train for his upcoming match.

The world No. 1 triumphed over Nicolas Jarry in the first round, winning a tough contest in which Sinner took charge at the crucial moments, closing out the match 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-1. In the second round, he will face the relatively unknown Tristan Schoolkate, a local wildcard who defeated Japan's Taro Daniel in the first round. Sinner has accumulated an incredible total of 28 wins in his last 29 matches and is regarded as the main favorite for the title in Melbourne.

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Joao Fonseca and brother Leo impresses with football skills

Joao Fonseca has been stealing the spotlight at the Australian Open, especially after defeating world No. 9 Andrey Rublev in the first round. The 18-year-old Brazilian has captured the media's attention, and recently, he was spotted with his brother Leo Fonseca, showing off their football skills while posing with the Brazilian flag. The world No. 112 demonstrated that tennis isn’t his only talent as he skillfully controlled a football alongside his brother.

The former junior No. 1, who is on a 14-match win streak, has claimed titles at the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Canberra Challenger. His four victories in Australia have earned him a spot in the second round, coming from qualifying. Fonseca is now set to face Lorenzo Sonego

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Still a girl inside: Coco Gauff swing into fun at Melbourne Park

World No. 3 Coco Gauff was caught on camera in a unique moment at the Melbourne Park gym, showing off her inner child. The 20-year-old player was filmed improvising a swing using the gym's strength training equipment. The straps, which were meant for strength exercises, were crossed by Gauff to create a seat, with towels laid on top to mimic a swing.

For a few seconds, the American took a gentle swing before jumping into the air with a smile, much to the amusement of her team. The 2023 US Open champion has been performing well at the Australian Open, with straight-set victories over Sofia Kenin and Jodie Burrage, marking her ninth consecutive win. She will face the 30th seed Leylah Fernandez in the third round, a player she defeated a few weeks ago at the United Cup, beginning her winning streak.

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Emotional family moment: Djokovic celebrates victory with his kids

The 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic survived a tough encounter against Portugal's Jaime Faria in the second round of the Australian Open. The 7th seed faced a relatively unknown player who was making his first appearance in a major main draw, and Faria made things difficult for Nole, especially after winning the second set, a moment when Djokovic seemed more vulnerable.

However, the Serbian recovered in the match and regained control in the third set. He ultimately secured the win 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2, advancing to the third round to face the 26th seed Tomas Machac. After leaving the Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic shared an emotional moment with his children, hugging both of them as they celebrated yet another victory for the 37-year-old Serbian.

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'Foot fault' chaos: Thompson's loss interrupted by technology glitch

Australian No. 2 Jordan Thompson (27th seed) was eliminated in his first Grand Slam as a seeded player after a disappointing loss to Borges in the John Cain Arena (6-3, 6-2, 6-4). The match took just 1 hour and 47 minutes for the European player against Thompson, who had suffered physical issues just weeks earlier at the Brisbane International, forcing him to retire from the tournament.

Apparently, the Australian wasn't at 100% for the Happy Slam and showed visible frustration, even receiving a warning for ball abuse. A curious situation unfolded during the match when the machine that calls the "out" marks issued a "foot fault" while Borges was still selecting balls as he prepared for his serve. Not only that, but the "foot fault" was called three times consecutively, causing laughter from the crowd and interrupting the point as the match was paused while the players waited for the technology issue to be resolved. "We’re going to have this on repeat for the rest of the week 🔁😂," Eurosport posted about the moment.

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