Daily Dose of Social Media: New tennis couple? Potapova fuels speculation as Kostyuk’s puppy steals the show

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media we look back at some of the highlights of another day at Indian Wells. Anastasia Potapova sparked speculation about a potential new pairing after appearing for the second time as a spectator at Tallon Griekspoor's match, just as the Dutchman pulled off the first upset of the tournament by beating first seed Alexander Zverev.

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New tennis couple? Potapova fuels speculation after supporting Griekspoor

Anastasia Potapova was once again seen watching Tallon Griekspoor’s match at Indian Wells, fuelling speculation on social media. The Dutchman achieved the biggest victory of his career by upsetting world No. 2 and top seed Alexander Zverev with a remarkable 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 win. Among the spectators was Potapova, currently ranked No. 34, who has also advanced to the tournament’s second round.

The 23-year-old Russian defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in her opener and will now face recent Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who is returning to competition after more than a month away. Potapova used her day off to watch the match between Griekspoor and Zverev.

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It wasn’t the first time—she was also spotted courtside during Griekspoor’s first-round match, further fuelling speculation online. Potapova, a former world No. 21, was previously married to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko (currently No. 98), but they announced their divorce at the end of 2024. Could this be the start of a new tennis couple?

“I really wish Sasha—I can say it on camera, I’m not ashamed of these words—I really wish him all the best, and he deserves all the best,” Potapova said in an interview at the end of 2024. “I wish him all the best with his career as well, because he’s very talented and he has to keep working and developing as a player. But I guess we had problems; some couples get over these problems, and some don’t. Unfortunately, we were one of the couples that didn’t.”

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Tennis stars take on hilarious drawing challenge at Indian Wells

During a fun segment at Indian Wells, ATP and WTA stars showcased their artistic skills in a drawing challenge. Naomi Osaka, Marta Kostyuk, and Danielle Collins were among the standouts, while the players' attempts at sketching sparked laughter in the Instagram comments of Tennis Channel and the tournament.

Grigor Dimitrov, Emma Navarro, Alex Michelsen, and Francisco Cerúndolo were also among the players asked to draw a Palm Springs-inspired illustration. The tournament is now in its second round, running from Friday to Saturday, with all seeded players who received a first-round bye—including Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Alexander Zverev (who suffered a shock defeat to Griekspoor)—making their debuts.

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Tennis Stars reveal which sports icons they’d love to see live

Some of the tennis stars responded to the question of which athletes they'd love to see live, including both tennis players and athletes from other sports. Among the responses, one tennis legend stood out as the overwhelming favourite. Sascha Zverev picked NBA star Stephen Curry, while Alex Michelsen and Jessica Pegula chose LeBron James.

On the other hand, one of the most popular choices was 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, especially among some of the younger players on the Tour. “I would like to see Roger Federer,” commented teenager Mirra Andreeva. “I think I came on Tour a bit late, so I haven’t seen him in real life at all. At least I would like to see him in real life to touch him, to see if he’s real. That would be great.”

The Swiss Maestro retired back in 2022 after a few years of constant injury. He had an emotional farewell at the Laver Cup, where he joined great rival Rafael Nadal for a final doubles match together, being defeated by Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-7, 9-11.

Sabalenka steps up her training for Indian Wells

Aryna Sabalenka shares photos from the desert of Indian Wells as she prepares for her debut th is Saturday. The world No. 1 aims to capture the WTA 1000 title after a disappointing Middle East swing with just one win and two losses – underwhelming results for the player currently leading the WTA rankings.

Nonetheless, Sabalenka continues to show that she’s undeterred and shared several photos from her training sessions and her days in Indian Wells, enjoying herself, playing football, and as usual, spending time with her partner, businessman Georgios Frangulis, who frequently accompanies her on Tour commitments.

Sabalenka faces a tough first-round challenge against American McCarney Kessler as she looks to return to winning ways. Her best result in Indian Wells so far was reaching the final in 2023, but she fell to Elena Rybakina in straight sets.

Kostyuk’s dog steals the Show

Marta Kostyuk traveled to Indian Wells looking to put behind her painful loss to Daria Gavrilova at Merida Open The Ukrainian was one of the favourites as the 6th seed in a surprise-filled WTA 500, but she lost in the debut to Daria Saville in straight sets. After dropping several places in the WTA Rankings at the start of the season, Kostyuk is now focused on improving her results in the third WTA 1000 of the season.

Kostyuk has been training hard in the days leading up to her third-round match, and she had some company, as she was joined by her dog. Many players have dogs, and Kostyuk has shared photos of hers on social media for years. This time, her dog joined her on the practice court, stealing the spotlight on social media.

The Ukrainian had her debut in the tournament this Friday, achieving a straightforward win over Robin Montgomery 6-1, 6-3. She awaits to face either Eva Lys or Caroline Dolehide.

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