Daily Dose of Social Media: Novak Djokovic hints at Cristiano Ronaldo’s new project, Alcaraz shares funniest fan encounter

Novak Djokovic drew attention on social media after reposting a video from Cristiano Ronaldo, joining several elite athletes amid ongoing speculation about a potential collaboration.

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, we look at some of the day's highlights: Aryna Sabalenka trains in Dubai with a fun challenge alongside her team, while Carlos Alcaraz appeared in a new Q&A round in a viral ATP video.

ATP Shares Alcaraz’s hilarious fan moment and Federer admiration

The ATP shared an old interview with Carlos Alcaraz during the Queen’s Club Championships earlier this year. The 21-year-old Spaniard spoke candidly about topics ranging from the funniest moment he has experienced with a fan to which tournament in another sport he would like to win. He even took the opportunity to praise Roger Federer, whom he chose as his companion if he were ever stuck in an elevator.

The 4-time Grand Slam champion recounted the funniest moment he’s had with a fan:“They asked me for a selfie, and they took the selfie, but with the other camera, the wrong one. We waited like ten, fifteen minutes to take the real selfie,” he said. When asked what he would choose to eat if it were the only thing he could eat for the rest of his life, Alcaraz hesitated before enthusiastically answering: “Let’s say sushi… no. Paella!” he exclaimed. “That’s a good question,” he added.

On another note, he was asked if there’s a question fans frequently ask that bothers him or he’d like them to stop asking. “It’s not annoying, but I would say the comparison with Rafa (Nadal),” Alcaraz replied.

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Djokovic teases cryptic collaboration with Cristiano Ronaldo: What’s coming?

Novak Djokovic responded to a social media post by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, leaving fans intrigued. The 24-time Grand Slam champion shared a post from the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner. "Today is the day to tell you that this A is AVA. A new project in which I am putting all my experience as an athlete to help others improve their recovery and increase their performance. Products to take you further. Advanced Recovery for Athletes."

Nole shared the post and left a cryptic message: “Something interesting coming up, Cristiano?” captioned Djokovic in an Instagram story reposting the footballer’s video.

The Serbian tennis star is not the only one who has shared the post, as footballers like Kylian Mbappé, Rio Ferdinand, David De Gea, and Pepe have also spread the video of the 5-time Champions League champion. Could a collaboration between two of the greatest athletes in history be on the horizon?

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Sabalenka’s “Trust Challenge”: Precision and Laughter in Training

Aryna Sabalenka shared a video of a fun game she plays with her team during training to improve her serve. The World No. 1 is currently in Dubai for her off-season and showcased one of the exercises designed to enhance her powerful serve, which she called the “They trust their player challenge.”

In the game, her team members take turns standing with their backs to the service box while Sabalenka attempts to precisely hit the ball between their legs, risking hitting them instead. Sabalenka landed most of her shots, though not all were successful. “A very trustworthy team 😌,” she captioned.

Sabalenka faces a tough start to the season, as she has to defend her runner-up finish at the Brisbane International (300 points) and her Australian Open title (2,000 points) in January. The Belarusian will have Iga Swiatek closely trailing her in the battle for the World No. 1 ranking.

Coria celebrates wedding at River Plate’s iconic Monumental stadium

Former top-50 player Federico Coria had a unique celebration following his wedding in Argentina. The brother of Guillermo Coria—former World No. 3 and French Open runner-up—combined two of his greatest passions by getting married on Tuesday after eight years of dating and celebrating with a dinner at the restaurant in Estadio Monumental, the home of his beloved football team, River Plate, in Buenos Aires. “We got married in church and came to celebrate in the best place in the world,” he posted, sharing photos with his wife.

The 32-year-old tennis player had previously expressed his deep passion for the football team from his hometown. “I’m completely crazy about River. To give you an example, during a period in my career when things weren’t going well, I would travel alone and listen to press conferences by Marcelo Gallardo (the team’s former coach), or I would even write his name on my racket. He inspired us a lot and represented us so well with his words,” Coria confessed.

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Mensik's respect for disability advocates shines amid his stellar season

Jakub Mensik was named ATP's Newcomer of the Year and shared a heartfelt message on social media, expressing his “immense respect” for his brother’s school, JISTOTA School, which supports dozens of young people with disabilities.

“I’m living my dream – I play tennis matches at prestigious tournaments, meet legends I looked up to as a child and still admire today, travel a lot, and get to know fascinating places and cultures. I’m incredibly fortunate not only to do what I love but, most importantly, to be healthy!”

“I know not everyone is so lucky, and I’m reminded of this every day, not only because of my amazing brother, who has autism spectrum disorder, but also because of his classmates, whom I had the privilege of visiting during class today.”

“These incredible young people are true fighters, facing adversity daily with remarkable effort, perseverance, and positivity. They work hard on themselves, supported by their incredible teachers and assistants, much like I work with my own team.”

The Czech tennis player made his first Tour appearance at the 2023 US Open, and this season quickly adapted to competing against the best players in the world. He broke into the top-50 for the first time in his career and secured two victories against top-10 players throughout the year (Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov).