Daily Dose of Social Media: Who has the most aura? Shapovalov, Kokkinakis, and Thiem weigh in Big-3 debate

Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities and Entertainment from ATP and WTA players. The ATP released a video where Daniil Medvedev builds his perfect player, including celebrations, cool-headedness, and mental games, mentioning his colleagues Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz among his picks.

After wrapping up the season, one of the major tennis events ahead is the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, an exhibition that has gained significant prominence, with some of its stars already sharing their thoughts ahead of the tournament. In a conversation between Dominic Thiem, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Denis Shapovalov, they chose which member of the Big-3 has the most aura, offering intriguing responses.

Daniil Medvedev created his version of the perfect tennis player a few weeks ago during the ATP Finals. The 2021 US Open champion gave a humorous interview where he highlighted qualities from Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and even himself, including his quirky celebrations.

The Russian player ended the season ranked World No. 5 after being eliminated in the Round Robin stage of the Finals, suffering defeats against Taylor Fritz and Sinner, with his only victory coming against Alex de Minaur. Medvedev finished the year without a title for the first time since 2017, with losses in the finals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells.

In the video, Medvedev chose himself as the player with the best celebrations and mental games. “Me, yeah for sure, out of the guys here, me for sure,” he responded. The former World No. 1 also named Carlos Alcaraz as the player with the best connection to the crowd. Watch the rest of his answers in the video below.

As preparations wrap up for the Ultimate Tennis Showdown Finals, set to take place from December 6 to 8 this year, tournament stars Denis Shapovalov, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Dominic Thiem shared their experiences facing the Big-3. They discussed and debated which of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic possesses the most "aura."

Shapovalov immediately picked Djokovic. “I remember Paris, the year I made the final. I played him in the final, and I was thinking, ‘Oh man…’ because I heard rumours he’d been sick all week, you know? And he was drinking his juices, drinking stuff all the time,” the Canadian recalled. “I’m like, dude, ‘I’ve got him. I’m playing the best tennis of my life. The guy is not feeling good; he’s not 100%. Like you said, this is my chance...’” Shapovalov said, looking at Kokkinakis. “No chance. The guy was toying with me.”

“And the worst is if the crowd pisses him off,” added the Australian. “If he gets pissed and starts yelling at the crowd—dude, pack your bags.”

Meanwhile, Dominic Thiem joined the conversation and claimed that there’s no greater challenge in tennis than facing Nadal at Roland Garros. “But I think the worst thing in tennis is if you play against Rafa on Philippe-Chatrier, and the guy starts to talk: 2005, 2006, 2007…” Thiem said, referencing the player introductions where each of Nadal’s French Open titles is listed.

Taylor Fritz reflected on videos of his incredible 2024 season, during which he reached his career-high ranking as World No. 4 and made significant finals appearances at the US Open and ATP Finals. The American No. 1 confirmed the impressive form he had carried over from previous seasons, maintaining consistency throughout the year and adding two new titles to his record. The 27-year-old became the first American to reach both the US Open and ATP Finals finals in the same season since Andre Agassi in 1999.

“That’s a wrap on the 2024 season 🔥 2 Titles, US Open finals, ATP Finals runner-up, an Olympic 🥉, and ending at a career high of #4 🙏🏻 Thank you to my team for putting up with me all year, and thank you to everyone for the love and support all year long, it was an amazing year. Feeling ready and more motivated than ever to keep working and come back next season even stronger 🫡,” Fritz posted.

Rafael Nadal visited Manchester City's training ground in England, where he posed for photos with several players from the club and Spanish coach Pep Guardiola. The 22-time Grand Slam champion spent the morning at City’s sports complex with players such as Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, and Manuel Akanji, as well as Guardiola. In the afternoon, he traveled to nearby Liverpool to watch the Reds face Real Madrid.

The Mallorcan attended the stands at Anfield for a crucial match for Real Madrid in their quest to reach the round of 16. Nadal was accompanied by his sister Maribel during the Spaniards' 0-2 defeat to Liverpool FC.