Daily Dose of Social Media: Jasmine Paolini and Beatriz Haddad Maia honoured with Billie Jean King Cup Heart Awards
Tennis NewsTuesday, 17 December 2024 at 23:30
Jasmine
Paolini and Beatriz Haddad Maia were honoured with the Billie Jean King Cup
Heart Award, with a prize that can be donated to any charity of their choice.
We revisit the thank-you videos shared by the players in a new Daily Dose of
Social Media.
Just hours
before the start of the Next Gen ATP Finals, the eight qualified players
enjoyed a relaxing day and shared a photo on a private yacht, setting
competition aside just one day before their debut. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz
and Jessica Pegula were among those who reflected on their season highlights.
Paolini and Haddad Maia grateful after receiving the Heart Award
Beatriz
Haddad Maia expressed her gratitude after receiving the Heart Award for her
performance in the Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs. The award recognises players
who represent their countries with distinction and demonstrate outstanding
attitude and commitment to their teams.
This marks
the third time the Brazilian has won the Heart Award, equalling Canada’s Leylah
Fernandez as the award’s most frequent recipient. Haddad Maia also secured
$3,000 in prize money for a charity of her choice.
“Hey guys,
it’s Bia here. I’m here to thank everyone who supported me and Brazil at the
Billie Jean King Cup, and also for helping me to win the Play-off Heart Award,
which means a lot for me because it’s not something only about me, it’s also
about someone else’s life. I’m very proud of me and my team because of that, so
thanks ITF for the opportunity and thanks to everyone who voted for me.”
Haddad Maia
frequently contributes to charities in Brazil. She recently visited the Centro
Gaspar Garcia in São Paulo, a foundation she supported in 2022 after
winning the award for the first time.
Bia Haddad Maia venceu pela terceira vez o prêmio Heart Award - Playoffs da Billie Jean King Cup. Ela vai doar 3 mil dólares para o Projeto Reviravolta, uma organização beneficente que ajuda moradores de rua que vivem de coleta e reciclagem em São Paulo. 🎾
— Empório do Esporte Feminino (@emporiodoef) December 17, 2024
📷 billiejeankingcup pic.twitter.com/jQm4w677xf
A message from Bia after winning her third Heart Award 💜#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/nUTaQMXQz1
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) December 17, 2024
On the
other hand, the standout winner was Jasmine Paolini, who claimed the Heart
Award for her performance in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She becomes the
first Italian to win the award since Flavia Pennetta in 2015.
The World
No. 4 was Italy’s hero, leading the European team to the final and securing a
crucial singles victory over Rebecca Šramková. Paolini also paired with Sara
Errani throughout the tournament in decisive doubles matches.
“Winning
this Award means a lot to me. I’m really happy, proud and honoured, and I would
like to thank all the people that chose to vote for me,” Paolini said. “I would
like to donate the $10,000 to the non-profit organisation Make a Wish Italia.
I hope to be able to contribute, even in a small way, to their valuable work to
fulfil the wishes of children suffering from serious diseases.”
A sweet message from Paolini after being voted by fans as the 2024 #BJKCup Finals Heart Award winner 😃 pic.twitter.com/9ygOyGLZ32
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) December 17, 2024
The Next Gen pose on a Yacht in Jeddah ahead of tournament kickoff
Everything
is set for the Next Gen ATP Finals to begin this Wednesday, December 18, in
Saudi Arabia. The event brings together the top eight players under 20,
dividing them into a round-robin phase with two groups of four players each.
The top two players from each group advance to the semi-finals, following a
format similar to the ATP and WTA Finals.
Although
the tournament does not award ATP ranking points, it offers significant prize
money, with over $500,000 for an undefeated champion and a total prize pool
exceeding $2,000,000.
Group 1
includes Arthur Fils, Jakub Mensik, Learner Tien, and Joao Fonseca. Group 2 is
led by Juncheng Shang, alongside Alex Michelsen, Luca Van Assche, and Nishesh
Basavareddy.
The
tournament has a history of producing future stars, with notable past champions
like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who made their mark early on the ATP
Tour. Last year’s champion, Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic, battled injuries
throughout this season but managed to close the year on a high note, reaching
the final of the ATP 250 Belgrade Open, where he fell to Denis Shapovalov.
Read also
“US Open final, for sure”: Alcaraz, Pegula and more reflects on season highlights
Carlos
Alcaraz stole the spotlight last week at Madison Square Garden during an
exhibition event, where he was joined by American stars Jessica Pegula, Ben
Shelton, and Emma Navarro. In a recent video shared on social media, each
player reflected on their standout moment from the 2024 season.
“Making the
finals in Basel this year was a really cool kind of end-of-season run for me,
where some of my best tennis came out,” Ben Shelton shared. “Best off-court
experience? My two favourite countries are Switzerland and Japan. Being in
Zurich and being in Tokyo were probably my two favourite weeks of the year,”
the 22-year-old American added.
“US Open
final, for sure,” responded World No. 7 Jessica Pegula without hesitation. The
American reached her first Grand Slam final but fell to Aryna Sabalenka. “I
think the run I went on between Toronto, Cincy, and the US Open—it doesn’t
happen very often in a career. To have that stretch, it went by so fast, but
looking back, that’s definitely the highlight of my year.”
Emma
Navarro also highlighted her impressive run to the US Open semi-finals, while
the 4-time Grand Slam champion (unnamed here) chose winning the Channel
Slam—claiming both the French Open and Wimbledon titles just three weeks
apart—as their season highlight.
Read also
David Goffin shares court with Federer during pre-season training in Dubai
David
Goffin received a special visit during his final pre-season training session,
welcoming none other than the 20-time Grand Slam champion to the practice court
in Dubai. Goffin ended the season ranked World No. 52, a remarkable ranking
considering there are only three older players ahead of him: Novak Djokovic
(No. 7), Jan-Lennard Struff (No. 42), and Roberto Bautista Agut (No. 51).
The
34-year-old Belgian shone during his best years on Tour between 2015 and 2019,
reaching the final of the 2017 ATP Finals, the 2019 Cincinnati final, and
finishing as runner-up in the Davis Cup with Belgium in 2015 and 2017. The
former World No. 7 is one of the few players to have defeated members of the
Big Three (Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Novak Djokovic).
In photos
shared on social media, Goffin can be seen chatting with Federer as he prepares
for the 2025 season. In their 11 encounters, the Swiss holds a dominant 10-1
head-to-head lead. Goffin's lone victory came in the semifinals of the 2017 ATP
Finals, where he came back from a set down to defeat Federer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
David Goffin received a special visit in practice. pic.twitter.com/O2RZjD7LpA
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) December 17, 2024
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