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.
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?
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.
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).