We examine the most noteworthy actions and entertainment from ATP and WTA players in today’s Daily Dose of Social Media. Football player Neymar participated in the match between Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini at the beginning of the WTA Finals, and he even met with Aryna Sabalenka in Riyadh.
Conversely, ATP stars enjoyed the new challenges, which included Tommy Paul, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Carlos Alcaraz, among others. Also, see the heated argument between Ugo Humbert and Karen Khachanov at the net following the Paris Masters quarterfinals.
On the first day of the WTA Finals, Brazilian football player Neymar Junior created headlines by tossing the coin for the match between Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini. The second match in the Purple Group, which Italy’s Paolini won in straight sets, began with the honorary guest, Brazil’s all-time greatest scorer, who now plays for Al Hilal Saudi F.C.
Later, Neymar went to the locker room and posed for a picture with Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked player in the world, who posted the shot to social media. Earlier in the day, Sabalenka made her tournament debut by defeating Zheng Qinwen in straight sets, increasing her record against the Chinese star to 5-0.
A tense moment at the net marked the finish of Ugo Humbert and Karen Khachanov’s Paris Masters semifinal match. By winning 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3, the 26-year-old Frenchman became the first Frenchman to go to the tournament final since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2011. After winning the Metz Open in 2023 and the Marseille Open in 2024, Humbert now has 13 straight victories on French indoor hardcourts, thanks to enthusiastic home crowds.
Khachanov’s injury in the third set changed the course of the match by restricting his movement as the set went on. The Russian asked for a medical timeout at 3-2 in the third, but his declining mobility made him less competitive during rallies. He became obviously irritated with Humbert’s jubilant celebrations, especially as Khachanov, the 21st-ranked player in the world, was having difficulty competing from the baseline.
Jordan Thompson and Sebastian Korda faced a special challenge at the most recent Olympic Games in a new ATP promotional video. Instead of competing on tennis courts, the American and Australian squared off in three Olympic sports: fencing, badminton, and a 50-meter walk.
“Today, Jordan and Sebi will compete against each other in a set of tasks modeled after the Olympics. As they made their way to their first fencing competition, Thompson began the film by reading, “Today, tennis is not an option because you take on three very different sports here in Paris.”
Watch the ATP Tour’s most recent social media video to find out who won the challenge: “The competition is fierce and the task is on… 🏆 But in this duel with an Olympic theme, who will compete for glory?