Daily Dose of Social Media: Jabeur joins Sabalenka for football with young fans, Rublev bleeds after hitting his knee with racquet

Tuesday, 29 October 2024 at 23:26

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players.

Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur played football with young fans in Riyadh ahead of the WTA Finals. Meanwhile, at the Paris Masters, Andrey Rublev’s temper flared once more in a first-round match against Francisco Cerundolo, smashing his racket against his knee, which resulted in a cut that left him bleeding.

Carlos Alcaraz took a moment to thank local fans, while Hubert Hurkacz expressed disappointment after his early tournament exit. Plus, check out Richard Gasquet’s emotional final match at Paris-Bercy as he gears up for his 2025 retirement.

Carlos Alcaraz sends special greeting to local fans after win over Jarry

Carlos Alcaraz left a special message for local fans after securing a hard-fought victory against Nicolas Jarry. The Spaniard was relentless in key moments, converting 5 out of 6 break points and overcoming a 3-5 deficit in the first set to claim victory with a score of 7-5, 6-1.

Despite the result, the world No. 2 struggled to break through Jarry’s serve, who seems to be in increasingly better form after months plagued by physical issues and constant losses. Following the win, Alcaraz ran to sign the camera, writing “Paris!!!” along with a heart drawing and made a fun gesture for the fans.

The 4-time Grand Slam champion now prepares for his next challenge against Marcos Giron in the second round. With the absence of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, he stands as the main favorite, despite never having passed the quarterfinals in Paris. This will be his last tournament before the ATP Finals.

Zain | Gracias Rafael ❤️

@ItzzZain10

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Carlos Alcaraz in front of a camera might just be a top 3 aura person in the history of humanity.

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Jabeur and Sabalenka delight young fans in Riyadh with football fun

Ons Jabeur reappeared alongside Aryna Sabalenka, playing football with young fans in Riyadh. The Tunisian player is in Saudi Arabia, participating in pre-tournament activities, despite not qualifying for the event that brings together the season’s top eight players, following two consecutive qualifications in previous years.

The three-time Grand Slam runner-up dealt with back issues throughout the season and last competed in early August at the Canadian Open, where she lost to Naomi Osaka. Jabeur subsequently withdrew from the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, deciding to end her season early to focus on a full recovery for 2025, after finishing this year outside the top 40.

As for Sabalenka, she enters the Finals as the top favorite following a dominant few months in which she reclaimed the world No. 1 spot from Iga Swiatek. She will now aim to consolidate her form to finish the year at the top of the rankings. She is set to share a group with Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, and Zheng Qinwen.

The Tennis Letter

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Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka together in Riyadh. Playing football with some young fans. Nice to see Ons back around tennis. ❤️

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Rublev loses cool and draws blood in fiery match against Cerundolo

Andrey Rublev once again unleashed his anger mid-match during his clash with Francisco Cerundolo. The Russian faced a tough challenge against the always dangerous Cerundolo, who ultimately claimed an important victory over the sixth seed with a score of 7-6(6), 7-6(5), advancing to the Round of 16 where he awaits his next match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Rublev dropped the first set by a narrow margin, and his frustration was already evident at the start of the second set. The Russian’s temper flared when the score was tied at 1-1 in the second set with Cerundolo serving. Following an unforced error, Rublev struck his racket hard against his knee, even cutting himself in the process, leaving him bleeding during the game.

ESPN Tenis

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¡Momento de furia total de Rublev! 😱 #París

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Emotional farewell: Richard Gasquet's last dance at the Paris Masters

Richard Gasquet experienced an emotional final match at the Paris Masters after 17 appearances. The historic 38-year-old player faced Zizou Bergs in the first round, providing a spectacle for local fans who saw the local hero for the last time in Bercy.

Gasquet had previously announced that he would retire at the end of the 2024 season but decided to postpone his retirement until the 2025 French Open, which will be his last tournament as a professional, where he hopes to obtain a wildcard for the main draw.

Regardless, the former world No. 7 and one of the most notable French players in recent times received a heartfelt tribute in France and ended the match in tears of emotion. “Thank you for giving us emotions one last time ✨,” read the official Paris Masters post on social media, which even received a reaction from his fellow Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who responded with heart emojis.

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José Morgado

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Richard Gasquet crying in the end of his last career match in Bercy. Played the event 17 times. Richie loves tennis. It's a tough day for him.

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Hurkacz shares Paris memories after painful first-round exit to Michelsen

Hubert Hurkacz shared photos of his time at the Paris Masters, after his early exit at the hands of youngstar Alex Michelsen. The 12th seed Pole suffered a painful 1-6, 3-6 first round defeat and ends his season at world No. 15.

The 27-year-old did not have a good end of the season, and although until a couple of months ago he was in the fight to enter the ATP Finals, his early defeats in US Open and Tokyo, as well as withdrawing from Shanghai Open, made him drop out of the top-10. Anyway, the former world No. 6 left a message for his fans with a picture of him walking around Paris.