Daily Dose of Social Media: Unbelievable winds knock umpire as Zheng Qinwen shares love for Taylor Swift

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, Zheng Qinwen revealed in an interview her love for Taylor Swift and how she’s an inspiration to her, while Carlos Alcaraz joked in Indian Wells about buying a house there after achieving his 20th victory in the tournament.

A particular situation occurred on the Challenger Tour when the wind knocked over the umpire during a match. Meanwhile, stars like Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Frances Tiafoe took part in a fun challenge to give away tickets to fans.

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“Should I buy a house here?”: Alcaraz jokes after reaching Indian Wells semifinals

Carlos Alcaraz joked about "buying a house" in Indian Wells after defeating Francisco Cerundolo in the quarterfinals of the first Masters 1000 event of the year. The Spaniard secured another commanding victory (6-3, 7-6) and remains unbeaten in sets throughout the tournament. He faces a tough challenge in the semifinals against Jack Draper as he seeks to reach his third consecutive final and defend the titles he won in 2023 and 2024.

The World No. 3 enjoys his time in Tennis Paradise each year he competes, with an impressive 20-2 record (90%), the best in the tournament's history for any player. Alcaraz was all smiles after his victory over Cerundolo and left a special message by signing the camera for the broadcasts with the words: “Should I buy a house here?” The four-time Grand Slam champion is a fan favourite, and the Spaniard showed his comfort while competing at the Tennis Garden.

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Zheng Qinwen reveals her Taylor Swift fandom

Zheng Qinwen shared her love for Taylor Swift's music in a recent interview. The World No. 9 had a strong run at Indian Wells, ending a three-match losing streak on the WTA tour. The Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist consecutively defeated Victoria Azarenka, Lulu Sun, and Marta Kostyuk (18th seed) to reach the quarterfinals. However, she came up against Iga Swiatek, who took revenge for their encounter at the Olympic Games — where Zheng surprised her at Roland Garros on Philippe Chatrier Court — leaving the Polish player with just the bronze medal.

Swiatek, like Zheng, has expressed her admiration for American pop star Taylor Swift, but now Zheng has joined the ranks as a self-proclaimed "Swiftie."

“Oh yes, I learned a lot of her songs, cause I feel inside of her songs, there’s a lot of stories you can tell. I think I’m a good storyteller.,” she said. “That’s why I love to be a writer to explain my own story cause I feel everybody has their own journey, they have their own path and I have my unique way, so I mean at the end of my career when I maybe 30 years old 40 years old, I like to explain all my history to the people.”

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Winds knock umpire over in Challenger at Cap Cana

A unique moment took place during the Challenger 175 at Cap Cana, which is taking place this week, as several top players who were eliminated in the first week of Indian Wells seized this opportunity to stay in competition ahead of the Miami Open, the second event of the Sunshine Double.

Just a day earlier, the Medvedev vs. Fils match was interrupted by strong winds that even moved towels around the court. The situation escalated even further during the quarterfinal match between Daniel Altmaier and Aleksandar Kovacevic in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic, when the wind knocked over the umpire's chair as the match began. First, the umbrella on the side of the court tilted, generating enough weight to topple the umpire's chair. The umpire, however, showed great reflexes and managed to jump out of the way just in time to avoid a more serious fall.

The unusual moment was shared widely on social media, highlighting once again the peculiar events that often occur at Challenger tournaments. The win ultimately went to the American, who triumphed 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Fortunately, the situation turned into just a funny anecdote, thanks to the umpire's quick reflexes before the fall. Check out the unusual moment below.

https://twitter.com/AFD7L/status/1900627854964256796

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Badosa and Tsitsipas challenge fans to win tickets

Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas took part in a fun game with fans, challenging them to follow clues provided by the players through video calls, aiming to help them win tickets to Stadium 1. "I have to give you three clues," Badosa began. "Where stories flow and spirits rise, a place to toast and socialize," read the first clue.

In the video, Tsitsipas and Badosa could be seen speaking with pairs of fans. "I’m very competitive, so I don’t want to lose this game," Badosa said through a video call to the fans participating with her.

Through three clues provided by both players, they helped the fans win tickets in a challenge that ended with the two tennis stars sharing time with the fans who managed to solve the clues and win tickets.

Tsitsipas was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Danish player Holger Rune, while Badosa had to withdraw last minute from the tournament due to a recurring back injury that has troubled her over the past few years. Both players are expected to return at the Miami Open, although it’s uncertain whether the Spanish player will withdraw from the second tournament of the Sunshine Double.

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Alcaraz reveals his football “top-5”: Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list

Carlos Alcaraz shared his opinions on the best footballers in the world and chose his “top-5,” with Cristiano Ronaldo at the top. The world No. 3, a well-known Real Madrid fan, picked the legendary Portuguese forward as his favourite footballer, the player who led Real Madrid to 5 Champions League titles and has won the Ballon d'Or five times as the best footballer in the world.

In his selection of footballers, he included two other Real Madrid figures—one of whom is the only Spanish player—and two of Brazil's biggest talents: “I didn’t see him play much, but from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen in videos, Ronaldinho,” he said, choosing the only player who is no longer active. Check out Alcaraz's selection below, with 5 footballers who have dazzled in Spain’s La Liga.

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