Daily Dose of Social Media: Zheng Qinwen’s heartfelt respect for Svitolina, Zverev predicts changing of guard at Australian Open

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Zheng Qinwen praises Svitolina in a touching moment after exhibition

Zheng Qinwen had a lighthearted moment during her appearance at the exhibition series on Wednesday, January 8, at Melbourne Park, where she faced Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina. This series of exhibition matches is part of the AO Open Week, an event that precedes the first Grand Slam of the year and features some of its top stars in charity events.

This time, it was Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen's turn to face Svitolina, who returned to the courts after undergoing foot surgery in September. Following the match – a victory for Zheng – the Chinese rising star expressed admiration for the former world No. 3 and revealed that she had just learned about Svitolina's recent journey into motherhood, offering her congratulations.

“I want to say that I feel you’re quite fashionable too, and I didn’t know that you already have a baby. I want to say congratulations for such a successful career, and I also have a lot of respect. As a mom to come back, I know that is really difficult – that’s impressive.”

The Ukrainian welcomed her first daughter, Skai, in October 2022 with her husband, former world No. 6 Gael Monfils. Svitolina returned to the tour in 2023 and had an incredible comeback, climbing from world No. 1344 to the top 25 by the end of the season, including reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Aryna Sabalenka brings dance moves to Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka, true to her vibrant personality, shared a lighthearted video with her team dancing on Margaret Court Arena. The World No. 1 led the choreography, showcasing the strong bond with her team, as they joined her in the fun.

Sabalenka is gearing up to defend her 2023 and 2024 Australian Open titles, where she triumphed over Elena Rybakina and Zheng Qinwen. "Back on the dance floor—I mean tennis court... 🤪," she captioned the post.

The Belarusian will discover her path in the tournament during Thursday's draw, leading the top half of the bracket. She enters the Grand Slam fresh off a title win at the Brisbane International.

Eva Lys' banana mishap caught on camera

German rising star Eva Lys shared a hilarious blooper during her Australian Open qualifier match against Aussie Arina Rodionova. The 23rd seed was captured on TV during a break between games in the second set, as Lys was battling to maintain her lead after winning the first set (7-5, 3-4).

During the break, the 21-year-old tried to eat a banana, but as she went to take a bite, it fell out of her hand. Lys glanced ahead, seemingly noticing the camera capturing the moment, and responded with a playful smile. Ultimately, the German secured the win 7-5, 6-4, knocking out the former Australian No. 1. In the decisive match for a spot in the main draw, she will face another local player: World No. 165 Destanee Aiava.

Zverev makes bold prediction: "It’s gonna be a new men’s champion"

Alexander Zverev made his bold prediction for the Australian Open in a quick round of Q&A. The German will be the second seed, just behind Jannik Sinner, and will lead the bottom half of the draw in Thursday's January 9th draw.

First, Zverev was asked if he had ever been a ball kid, like many of the Tour's top stars before starting their careers. “No, because my brother is ten years older than me, and I always wanted to be, but he never allowed me to be, because he was playing tournaments and it would annoy him,” said the World No. 2.

Then, he was asked about his bold prediction for 2025. “I think it’s gonna be a new men’s champion,” the German replied briefly as he looks for his first Grand Slam title. He has previously fallen short in the two finals he played: US Open 2020 (lost to Dominic Thiem) and French Open 2024 (lost to Carlos Alcaraz).

With this, Zverev indirectly ruled out two of the strongest contenders: Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, as well as wildcard Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, making them the only former male champions in the draw.

Carlos Alcaraz moves closer to official return at Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz is getting closer to making his official return at the Australian Open after his last appearance at the Davis Cup Finals, where Spain was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Netherlands. The Spaniard shared a couple of photos on social media, teasing his return to Melbourne Park as he aims to complete the Career Grand Slam. “Closer to debuting! 🇦🇺❤️🦘🎾🔝”

The 4-time Grand Slam champion trained on Tuesday with none other than Novak Djokovic, and on Wednesday, he played his first exhibition match – one of two scheduled during the AO Open Week – against Alex De Minaur. The Spaniard lost in a packed Rod Laver Arena 7-5, 4-6, [10-5], in his first warm-up match. On Friday, he will take part in another charity exhibition match against the 2024 Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin.

Victoria Azarenka shares training video ahead of Australian Open

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka gave fans a glimpse of her preparation at Melbourne Park, sharing a video of her gym workout followed by high-intensity hitting on court.

“Come with me for a day of training pre @australianopen 🎾🐨🥶” Azarenka, who claimed titles in 2011 and 2012, also reached the semifinals in 2023. The former world No. 1 also recieved a respond from the former top—30 Chris Eubanks “Wowwww no cameo for me in the back of the golf cart? ☹️👎🏾

The Belarusian holds the distinction of being the 5th female player with the most wins at the Australian Open in the Open Era, boasting 50 victories. She trails only Serena Williams (92), Maria Sharapova (57), Lindsay Davenport (56), and Venus Williams (54).

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