In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, the action in the Asian Swing continues to steal the spotlight, with figures like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Elena Rybakina appearing in recent photos from both the Japan Open and the China Open during a key week in the final part of the season.
On another note, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal reunited these past few days, though this time on the golf course, filming a video in support of Team Europe ahead of the Ryder Cup. They even joked about Rafa’s potential participation in future years, recognizing his talent as a golfer.
Nadal and Federer cheer on Team Europe at the Ryder Cup
The 2025 Ryder Cup kicks off this Friday at the demanding and loud Bethpage Black in New York, where Europe, with Spain’s Jon Rahm as its biggest star, will seek to revalidate the title won in 2023 against the United States. In the lead-up, two tennis legends, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, released a video supporting the European team, recorded at the Pula Golf Resort in Son Servera, Mallorca.
The Swiss maestro begins the message and jokes about ‘Nadal’s possible signing’: “Hello everyone from the golf course here in Mallorca. Team Europe, we wish you all the best for the Ryder Cup. We are following you closely. Maybe in the future, we’ll have a new player on the team,” he says as the camera focuses on the Mallorcan executing a golf swing.
Alcaraz celebrates Tokyo debut win with photos and juggling tricks
Carlos Alcaraz shared photos of his Japan Open debut after a notable victory over Sebastián Báez in the first round. The World No. 1 overcame a fall and ankle twist early in the match before securing the 6-4, 6-2 victory. However, the win was tempered by a scare regarding his availability for his second-round match on Saturday against Zizou Bergs.
Nevertheless, the six-time Grand Slam champion shared photos of his debut, greeting the Tokyo crowd. Alcaraz also appeared in a video on social media showcasing his juggling tricks as part of his warm-up routine, practicing coordination with tennis balls before his debut.
Sinner Cruises in Beijing: World No. 2 eases past Cilic
Jannik Sinner was another star to debut this Thursday in the Asian swing, though the Italian is competing in Beijing at the China Open. The current World No. 2 begins his run in Beijing, where he finished as runner-up in 2024 (losing the final to Alcaraz), and aims to maintain his momentum in the final part of the year, still with the mission of regaining the World No. 1 ranking before the season ends.
Sinner debuted with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Marin Cilic and advanced to the second round, where he will face France’s Terence Atmane—the same opponent he defeated in the Cincinnati Open semifinals. The four-time major champion shared photos of his Beijing debut while waiting to return to the court on Saturday.