Today in our
Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the top activities and
entertainment from ATP and WTA players.
Naomi Osaka broke into tears after her emotional return to the US Open, where she achieved her first top-10 victory in 4 years against
Jelena Ostapenko.
A new day at Flushing Meadows featured one of the shots of the year, executed by
Karolina Muchova. Meanwhile,
Leylah Fernandez revealed her new look to fans, and Osaka's outfit stole the spotlight. Additionally, ATP stars played a "Blind Ranking" game, choosing among 5 important tennis legends.
Tears of triumph:
Naomi Osaka's emotional return to US Open
Naomi Osaka
had an emotional return to the US Open and secured her first victory against a
top-10 player in the last four years. The 2018 and 2020 champion couldn't hold
back tears after defeating Jelena Ostapenko and receiving a standing ovation
from the crowd after shaking her opponent's hand.
The
26-year-old returned to her bench and continued crying, covering her face with
a towel. She then spoke during the on-court interview with Pam Shriver and
again struggled to hold back tears: "I was trying not to cry when I was
walking out too," the 4-time Grand Slam champion said.
“I remember
last year I was watching Coco play and I so badly wanted to step on these
courts again and I didn’t know if I could. I didn’t know athletically,
physically if I was able to. Just to win this match and just to be in this
atmosphere means so much to me, so thank you."
"Last
night my daughter didn’t want to go to sleep on her bedtime so I had to hold
her for quite a while and I was like, oh wow, she really picked the perfect day
not to go to sleep," she added. "But yeah I mean, I don’t know.
Moments like that are so precious to me and I can only hope that I can keep
having more."
Osaka’s new
outfit sparks social media buzz at US Open
Naomi
Osaka’s impressive victory in the first round of the tournament wasn’t the only
thing capturing fans’ attention. The Japanese player stepped onto the court in
a striking green outfit with a coquette theme, featuring a white bow on the
back.
Osaka’s
outfits remind fans of Serena Williams’ best eras, where her court appearances
were always eye-catching due to the innovative outfits she wore. The Japanese
player has established herself as a fashion icon in women’s tennis, and her new
collaboration with Nike caught the eye of social media users.
ATP Stars rank
tennis legends in exclusive “Blind Ranking”
ATP stars
took part in a “Blind Ranking US Open Edition,” where they ranked five
legendary tennis players. The format involves giving names of players to rank
in a top-five list without knowing who the next option will be, requiring
strategic choices for each legend’s final position.
Unlike
previous games, members of the Big 3 were not included in the choices. Instead,
stars had to sequentially rank John McEnroe,
Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Juan
Martin Del Potro, and Patrick Rafter.
Not
everyone was satisfied with their final answers. The video featured Matteo
Berrettini,
Holger Rune,
Grigor Dimitrov,
Ben Shelton, and Felix
Auger-Aliassime.
Muchova’s stunning shot has US Open fans on their feet
2023 US
Open semifinalist Karolina Muchova had a long break from tennis after
undergoing wrist surgery and is playing only her fourth tournament of the
season (with a record of 8-3 so far). The Czech player achieved a great
first-round victory against
Katie Volynets (6-3, 7-5) and delivered one of the
best points seen so far in the tournament.
Muchova
executed a spectacular shot when the score was 4-1 in her favor in the first
set. The Czech made an extraordinary move to win a stunning point that drew an
ovation from the crowd and quickly went viral on social media, with the
official US Open account already touting it as the best point of the year. The
Czech will face a tough challenge in the second round, as she will take on
4-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
Fernandez reveals
new look for US Open
Leylah
Fernandez shared her new look on social media ahead of the US Open. The 23rd
seed returns to the tournament that catapulted her into the global tennis
spotlight and faces a tough debut this Tuesday afternoon against Russian
Anastasia Potapova.
The
21-year-old Canadian posted a video on social media showcasing her new style
for this year's challenge. Fernandez took advantage of her time in New York to
make a change in her appearance and will sport a set of braids throughout her
hair.
Roddick reflects on watching Djokovic live:
Andy
Roddick was one of the VIP spectators at
Novak Djokovic's US Open debut. The
American former world No. 1 watched the Serbian's straight-sets victory over
Radu Albot, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
Roddick has
been closely following the action at Flushing Meadows while covering the
tournament for his podcast Served with Roddick. After watching the
match, the 2003 US Open champion commented on how different it is to witness
Djokovic in person compared to watching on TV.
“It’s a
different deal watching Novak live. The genius doesn’t translate enough from a
high-up TV angle… was fun to watch one GOAT with another GOAT. My bestie
Lin. We are friends, right? Right? Please?”