Daily Dose of Social Media: Sinner delights fans in Italian Alps during festive break, Badosa shares 2025 preseason highlights

ATP and WTA stars continue preparing for the start of a new season, though there was time for small Christmas breaks. Jannik Sinner was spotted in the Italian Alps enjoying Christmas, while Coco Gauff shared heartwarming Christmas photos.

At the same time, Novak Djokovic, Paula Badosa, and Elena Rybakina – joined by Goran Ivanisevic, former Nole’s coach – shared videos on social media of their latest training sessions. All this and more in a new Daily Dose of Social Media.

Sinner spends Christmas in snowy Alps before Australian Open defence

Jannik Sinner returned to Italy to spend the holiday season after taking a break from his training in Dubai. The world No. 1 has become a national hero in Italy, and every time he visits his homeland, he receives warm welcomes from his compatriots. This time, Sinner took the opportunity to visit a ski resort in the Italian Alps and enjoy Christmas in the snow, sparking a huge reaction from the public who flocked to take photos and catch a glimpse of the 2-time Grand Slam champion.

Sinner is set to travel to Melbourne to finalise his preparations for the Australian Open. According to a recent report by "Il Messaggero," Sinner will arrive in Australia on 2 January, where his coach Darren Cahill awaits him. He is scheduled to play an exhibition match against Alexei Popyrin on 7 January and another on 10 January against a yet-to-be-confirmed opponent, both part of the lead-up to the year’s first Grand Slam. The tournament, where the Italian is the defending champion, begins on 14 January.

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Rybakina gears up for United Cup debut with Ivanisevic in her corner

Elena Rybakina continues her preparations for the United Cup and shared a video of her latest training session in Perth. The 2022 Wimbledon champion recently added Goran Ivanisevic, former coach of Novak Djokovic, to her team, and they will face their first challenge together in Perth, where Rybakina is set to lead Team Kazakhstan.

The world No. 6 will team up with Alexander Shevchenko in Perth for challenging matches against Greece, led by Maria Sakkari, and Spain, whose top female singles player will be Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Rybakina recently participated in the World Tennis League, joining forces with Caroline Garcia, Andrey Rublev, and Denis Shapovalov to win the title in the renowned mixed-team exhibition tournament.

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Osaka’s Christmas on court: Fun moments with team

Naomi Osaka shared a hilarious video with members of her team as she prepares for her debut at the Brisbane International. The 4-time Grand Slam champion took some time to joke around with her hitting partner, Matias Zukas, and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou – former coach of Serena Williams and Simona Halep.

In the video, Argentine Zukas is seen grip wrapping a racket while responding to questions from the world No. 58. “Mati, how do you feel practicing on Christmas?” asked the Japanese star.

“I don’t know, I’ll tell you in 30 minutes,” he responded.

“You think we’re only hitting for 30 minutes?” Osaka joked, laughing, before asking the same question to Mouratoglou.

“I like it. Look,” he said, pointing to the sky. “Beautiful weather, an incredible place. We’re alone, nobody to bother us, so, you know, I like to play tennis.”

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Coco Gauff celebrates Christmas with family

Coco Gauff shared snapshots of her family Christmas celebration. The world No. 3 posted photos with her siblings and parents celebrating Christmas on Tuesday night. “Merry Christmas 🎄 #JesusIsTheReason,” she wrote. The 2023 US Open champion ended her season on a high note, winning her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open by defeating Karolina Muchova in the final, and later closing the year as WTA Finals champion after beating Zheng Qinwen in the title match.

Gauff is now settled in Perth, where she will make her United Cup debut. Team USA is the top favourite among the 18 qualified nations, being the only country with both a male and female player in the top 5. Gauff (No. 3) and Fritz (No. 5) stand out as strong title contenders. They will face Canada and Croatia in the Round Robin, so Gauff will have matches against Leylah Fernandez and Donna Vekic to kick off the 2025 season.

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Badosa recaps her preseason journey with stunning video

Paula Badosa shared a video filled with highlights from her 2025 preseason. The Spanish tennis star recently traveled to Iceland with her boyfriend, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and then headed to Dubai, where she resides, to kick off preparations for the new season. The former world No. 2 posted clips from both on and off the court.

Badosa recently participated in the World Tennis League, an exhibition event where she teamed up with Tsitsipas, Iga Swiatek, and Alexander Shevchenko. However, their run ended in the Round Robin stage. The former Indian Wells champion played a total of five matches (four doubles and one singles), securing her only win on the final day alongside Swiatek against Caroline Garcia and Elena Rybakina. Watch the video below, showcasing Badosa’s past few weeks as she gears up for 2025.

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Djokovic trains in Qatar, aiming for a comeback in 2025

The first images of Novak Djokovic training during the off-season have surfaced. The Serbian star is gearing up for his 23rd season as a professional, with the goal of fighting for his 25th Grand Slam title. Djokovic didn’t have his best year in 2024, marking his first season without a major title since 2017 (only the second time since 2011). Despite having broken all records, Djokovic remains ambitious, aiming to add more titles as he prepares in Qatar before heading to Australia to kick off the new year.

Djokovic recently added Andy Murray to his team as a coach, who will join him for upcoming tournaments. His first challenge will be at the Brisbane International, where he will be the first seed and participate in the doubles draw alongside Nick Kyrgios. Later, he will travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open. After concluding his campaign there, Djokovic plans to return to Qatar for the Doha Open, which boasts a star-studded lineup featuring Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Watch below the first images of Djokovic in a training session ahead of the new season.

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