Today in our Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the top activities and entertainment from ATP and WTA players. Andrey Rublev shared a heartfelt reflection and gave advice to his younger self about staying at the top level.
With the start of the Asian Swing, Coco Gauff captured fans’ attention with a standout moment while signing autographs. Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik challenged a table tennis prodigy, and Felix Auger-Aliassime is enjoying his first days in Tokyo, Japan.
Coco Gauff stuns fans by signing laptop during Beijing practice
Coco Gauff made waves after her first practice session in Beijing ahead of the China Open. The 2023 US Open champion signed autographs following her practice on Centre Court and drew attention when a fan asked Gauff to sign their laptop, much to the surprise of the world No. 6.
The American is the fourth seed in the tournament and is set to debut on Thursday, September 26, against the winner of the match between Caroline Dolehide and Clara Burel. Gauff will be looking to put behind her inconsistent performances during the US Open Series and will be playing her first tournament since parting ways with her coach of the past year, Brad Gilbert.
The former world No. 2 faces a significant points defense in China, having reached the semifinals in 2023, where she lost to Iga Swiatek after a streak of 11 consecutive wins. Last year, Gauff ended her season at the China Open before the WTA Finals. As of now, she has yet to secure her qualification among the top eight, while remaining sixth in the Race.
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Andrey Rublev reflects on his journey in heartfelt video to younger self
Andrey Rublev featured in the latest ATP Tour video, where he engages in a self-reflection, giving advice to himself at age 12. The Russian spoke about his experiences since the beginning of his career and the challenges of staying at the highest level. The world No. 6 is preparing for his next challenge at the Shanghai Masters starting on September 30.
“Hi my little friend, I hope you are back home watching some cartoons at Nickelodeon, I’m just check in in, because maybe I can give you some advice. When you are top-400 in the world, you would be hard fear than when you are top-10 in the world and having everything
What I have learned is significant success isn’t going to make you happy, only you can do that for yourself. When you have choices, listen to yousrself and trust what is right for you, you can award difficult moments, but if you’re happy with yourself, the difficult moments won’t affect you as much.”
Bublik takes on 13-year-old table tennis prodigy in viral challenge
Alexander Bublik accepted the challenge and faced a young Chinese prodigy in a table tennis match. “We’ve got to play a set, so I can see how many points I can win,” mentioned the Kazakh at the start of the video when he was about to face the 13-year-old in an 11-point set.
The 26-year-old tennis player competed at the Chengdu Open last week, reaching the quarterfinals, but fell to the local young star Shang Juncheng (4-6, 6-7). Bublik’s next challenge will be this week at the Shanghai Masters, which starts on October 2, where Bublik enters as the 26th seed.
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Felix Auger-Aliassime shares his experience in Japan ahead of Tokyo Open
Felix Auger-Aliassime has shared a video of his arrival in Japan for the Tokyo Open. The Canadian tennis star explored the streets of the bustling Asian city, enjoyed traditional Japanese cuisine, and even attended a sumo wrestling match, all while keeping up with his usual tennis training.
The world No. 21 faces a challenging draw at the ATP 500 Tokyo Open, set to make his debut against local wildcard Yoshito Nishioka. Should he secure a victory, he could face either Alejandro Tabilo or the 6th seed Holger Rune in the second round.
Krejcikova surprises fans as spectator at Thailand Open final
Barbora Krejcikova, the 2024 Wimbledon champion, made a surprise appearance at the recent Thailand Open final. The Czech star watched from the stands as Laura Siegemund faced off against Rebecca Sramkova, with the Slovak clinching her first WTA title.
Krejcikova’s presence in Thailand raised eyebrows, given that she wasn’t scheduled to compete this week and is set to play at the Beijing Open starting on Thursday, 26 September. However, she took a day off to attend the tournament in Hua Hin, located over 4,400 kilometres from Beijing, where the China Open will be held.
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Jabeur advocates for donations as World Food Programme ambassador in New York
Ons Jabeur made an appearance in New York as a World Food Programme ambassador, urging donations to support mothers and children in Gaza. The Tunisian star was named a Global Goodwill Ambassador in February this year, and during her time off the court, she attended a WFP event held in New York.
“I am honoured to join the World Food Programme as a Global Goodwill Ambassador. As an athlete, I understand the importance of nutrition, and I am eager to use my platform to contribute to WFP’s vital work in ensuring that no one goes to bed hungry,” commented the former world No. 2 when she first accepted the role.
The three-time Grand Slam runner-up missed the recent US Open due to a shoulder injury and later announced that she would skip the rest of the season as she focuses on a full recovery. She is expected to return at the start of 2025 in Australia.
Patrick Mouratoglou trains with football legend Ronaldo Nazario in a unique tennis session
Patrick Mouratoglou shared an unprecedented video training alongside football legend, Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario. The 2-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner had previously commented on his newfound love for tennis: “I think today I love tennis more than football. It’s unbelievable, I can’t watch football matches, I find them very boring.”
The French coach shared the training court with Ronaldo during the last Miami Open, but only today did he release the video where they discuss the evolution of both tennis and football.
“I trained a lot, always dribbling, shooting. That’s my strength,” commented the 2002 World Cup champion with Brazil. “All the players stay for 90 minutes playing. When they have the ball, it’s just for half a minute. Big pressure when you have the ball not to lose it.”
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