Archive of posts tagged social media

Danielle Collins slams 'keyboard warriors' after viral Cincinnati outburst

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Cincinnati

Danielle Collins took to social media to hit back at "keyboard warriors" but also clarify what happened in Cincinnati, revealing that she is dealing with a back injury.

In the Cincinnati first round, the American – who plummeted to No. 61 in the world – suffered a 4-6 6-7 (2) loss to Taylor Townsend. 

After the match was over, a Collins outburst video started making rounds on X. Down 0-2 in the second-set tie-break, the 2021 Australian Open runner-up went over to her team – started to scream and cry – while letting out a painful statement: "Why is this happening to me?" 

As the 2024 Miami Open champion was exiting the court, she didn't pick up her belongings. Instead, it was picked up by Townsend, who passed it on to the 31-year-old's team. 

While some expressed a concern for Collins, some criticized her actions. 

Collins: It's not surprising that the keyboard warriors can't understand my pain

The American tennis player noticed what was being said and written about her on social media and decided to react. In her message, the American revealed that she was battling a disc hernia. Also, she thanked Townsend for being classy and helping her on the court.

"Anyone who has a herniated disc knows my pain. It's no surprise the keyboard warriors can't understand or relate, as they've been too busy sitting on a**es judging people who show up and and try to give it their best even on days that suck. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my injury and thank you to Taylor Townsend for being the best of the best," Collins wrote on her Instagram Story.

Karen Khachanov comments on dealing with angry bettors amid sad Elina Svitolina case

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Alexander Zverev

Karen Khachanov says every tennis player is pretty familiar with online abuse and admits it is not a pleasant feeling, but believes that staying smart and not engaging with such people is the best thing to do.

In case you missed it, Elina Svitolina was subjected to some pretty disgusting messages following her Montreal quarterfinal loss on Monday – her DM was full of various insults and some even mentioned her family and sent death threats.

On Tuesday, Khachanov was in action at the Canadian Masters as he defeated top seed Alexander Zverev 6-3 4-6 7-6 (4) to reach the final. In his presser, the 29-year-old Russian was asked whether he noticed Svitolina's post and if he has dealt with something similar.

"My whole career, I would say, I heard it (laughing), like any other tennis player, I guess any other sportsman, athlete, you know," the seven-time ATP champion said.

Khachanov: They want to provoke you and you sometimes want to respond… But don't do that

"Now anyone can write anything they want, from fake accounts or whatever, just to kind of, yeah, piss you off or whatever, just get inside your head. But this is what they are trying to do… But sometimes you want to respond. But at the same time this is what they are trying, they are provoking you. You know, to answer means, means that it matters to you, so you just have to try to get over it," the Russian explained.

In the same interview, Khachanov noted that his agents run his social media accounts and that he only uses social media when he wants to personally check something, and that he tries to avoid reading anything else as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Khachanov is due to play Ben Shelton in the Toronto Masters final. If the 2018 Paris champion wins, it will be his second Masters title.

Elina Svitolina reveals vile abuse, death threats she received after Montreal loss

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AI-based technologies

Elina Svitolina took to social media to share some absolutely disgusting and horrifying messages she received following her Montreal quarterfinal exit.

After not losing a single set through her opening three Montreal matches, the 10th-seeded Ukrainian didn't play her best against an inspired Naomi Osaka, who claimed a routine 6-2 6-2 win.

Shortly after the loss, Svitolina was flooded by negative and abusive messages – presumably from angry bettors. In a series of screenshots she took and posted on her Instagram Story, the Ukrainian revealed that the was insulted as a player – woman – her marriage to Gael Monfils was also mentioned – and she even received death threats.

Svitolina's message to the bettors: I'm a mom before I'm an athlete

The 30-year-old Ukrainian, who became a mother for the first time in late 2022, had a strong message for the social media abusers, telling them: “To all the bettors: I'm a mom before I'm an athlete. The way you talk to women – to mothers – is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your messages, they'd be disgusted…”

Unfortunately, social media abuse isn't anything new in the tennis world. Over the last several years, there have been numerous cases of a player losing the match and then seeing their DM flooded with vile messages. 

Certain tournaments have started using AI-based technologies to filter out negative and abusive messages. But that's still in its early stages and players are still widely exposed to social media abuse. 

Iga Swiatek shares what 'funny' Eva Lys told her at the net after Montreal match

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Eva Lys

Iga Swiatek reveals Eva Lys was cracking jokes at herself following their Montreal meeting and she thought it was "funny."

On Friday, the third-seeded Pole needed just an hour and 14 minutes to oust the world No. 69 6-2 6-2 in the Montreal third round.

Moments after their match ended, Lys could have been seen telling Swiatek something that made the former world No. 1 laugh. When the Polish tennis star hit the press room, one reporter was curious to know what the two had exchanged at the net. That's when the reigning Wimbledon champion shared that her rival hilariously stated that while she lost again, she at least won more games than she did in their previous meeting.

In January, Swiatek crushed Lys 6-0 6-1 in the Australian Open round-of-16.

"Well, she joked that she won more games than last time, so it was kind of funny. She's a really nice girl with a lot of down-to-earth humor, so I appreciate that. At first I didn't hear her. These exchanges at the net are always kind of, like, awkward. I like her humor, so for sure it was funny," the six-time Grand Slam champion revealed.

Lys continued with her humor on social media 

After losing to Swiatek, Lys dropped one hilarious comment on X. 

The 23-year-old German didn't stop there, adding more on Instagram, where she funnily blamed the Polish tennis star for ending her promising runs. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Eva Lys (@eva.lys)

Lys often posts memes on social media, so her showing the funny side against Swiatek was all but a surprise.

Dan Evans rips 'pathetic' Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: World wakes up early and works

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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Dan Evans had no sympathy at all for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and his issues at the Toronto Masters, ripping his complaints about an early match schedule as "pathetic."

While Thursday action was ongoing in Toronto, the tournament organizers released their schedule for the next day.

And Davidovich Fokina, who is seeded at No. 20 and slated to play Jakub Mensik in the third round, wasn't happy a bit after seeing that his clash was scheduled for 11 AM local time – which is the earliest possible match schedule. The 26-year-old Spaniard took to social media to blast the ATP authorities. 

“Today I want to share my disappointment and frustration with the ATP. Tomorrow, every match starts at 12:30, except ours, which has been scheduled at 11:00. We’re staying one hour away from the club, which means we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good condition. The ATP always promises they’ll fix things, but nothing ever changes. This isn’t the first time it happens, and when you’re inside, you realize that it is not as great as it looks from the outside," Davidovich Fokina wrote in the message.

Evans on Davidovich Fokina complaining about getting up very early: Pathetic

Evans, who is nine years older than Davidovich Fokina, literally had zero sympathy for the Spanish tennis player. Reacting to it through his Instagram account, the 35-year-old Briton pretty much told the 26-year-old he is in a privileged position and still complains. 

“Wake up and play. The world wakes up and works 9-5, even 8-6. Pathetic," Evans wrote.

This is not the first time that Evans has blasted players' complaints about the tennis schedule and calendar. In one of his interviews conducted earlier this summer, the two-time ATP champion suggested that some of his colleagues are hypocrites because they want to earn as much as possible but still complain about playing a lot. 

Meanwhile, Evans played at the Lexington Challenger this week, where he lost to Michael Zheng in the round-of-16. The 35-year-old has already appeared in 21 tournaments this year.

Caroline Garcia Plans Cincinnati Return Before US Open Farewell

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By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, July 31, 2025
Photo credit: Brad Penner/USTA/US Open

Caroline Garcia plans a Queen City return before her final farewell in Queens.

The 31-year-old Garcia aims to plan next month’s Cincinnati WTA 1000 event in preparation for her final tournament at the 2025 US Open.

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Garcia shared a brief video of her training with coach Bertrand Perret on Instagram Stories today. She captioned the video “Getting ready for Cincy tennis with my fave coach Bertrand Perret.”

It’s been a life-changing month for Garcia, who married long-time boyfriend Borja Durán in a beautiful and joyous ceremony earlier this month.

The happy couple shared exquisite images from their wedding ceremony on social media.

“The most beautiful day of our lives,” Garcia posted on social media.

The July 19th wedding comes nearly 13 months to the day after the couple announced their engagement.

Borja Durán is a Catalan university professor who has lived in Barcelona.

The couple launched their own podcast, The Tennis Insider Club, last year.

They’ve interviewed several stars, including Gael Monfils, Alize Cornet, Andrey Rublev and Victoria Azarenka for the podcast.

Former world No. 4 Garcia announced her intention to retire from the pro tour after the 2025 US Open in May. Garcia won 11 WTA singles titles, including defeating Aryna Sabalenka to capture the 2022 WTA Finals championship. Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic captured the Roland Garros doubles championship twice.

Naomi Osaka on Split from Coach Patrick Mouratoglou

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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025
Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty

Naomi Osaka is ready for a reset.

It won’t include Patrick Mouratoglou.

Former No. 1 Osaka announced she split with Mouratoglou, who coached her for nearly 11 months.

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“Merci Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you,” Osaka posted on Instagram. “Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I’ve ever met and I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who split with ex-coach Wim Fissette after the 2024 US Open, began working with Mouratoglou in September of 2024.

 “Yes [he’s] my [coach] right now. I try not to commit to short-term collaborations,” Osaka said last September. “I try to think that it is a long-term commitment. I like the way he coaches. I think it’s going to be very interesting.”

Working with Mouratoglou, Osaka captured her first clay-court title at the WTA 125 event in Saint Malo in May. She also reached the Auckland final in January retiring after dropping the opening set to Clara Tauson, 6-4.

Though they clicked personally, professional results largest eluded Osaka, who fell in three sets to Paula Badosa in the Roland Garros opening round. Osaka reached the Wimbledon third round losing in three sets to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Coach Mouratoglou was philosophical about the parting.

“Nothing lasts forever. What counts is what a collaboration has brought to each other and what lasts after,” Mouratoglou posted on social media.

The 49th-ranked Osaka lost to Emma Raducanu, 6-4, 6-2 in the Washington, DC round of 16 last week. Since she won her fourth Grand Slam championship at the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka has become a mom and spoken publicly about mental health battles. Osaka has played 12 majors since that 2021 AO victory and has yet to surpass the third round. She reached the third round of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year.  

Watch: Novak Djokovic tries surfing in Croatia

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Belgrade

Novak Djokovic has not yet revealed his schedule ahead of the US Open, which will start in less than a month in New York. The former world No. 1 has only announced that he will not participate in the 2025 edition of the Toronto Masters 1000, a decision that is not surprising considering that the Serbian legend has not played in Canada since 2018.

The 38-year-old from Belgrade suffered a small muscle problem during the Wimbledon Championships, in which he reached the semifinals losing decisively to current world number 1 Jannik Sinner. During the subsequent press conference, Nole admitted that his body no longer gives him the same guarantees as a few years ago and emphasized how hard it is to compete with opponents much younger than him at this stage of his career.

At the same time, Djokovic does not seem to have any intention of giving up and still dreams of becoming the oldest ever to win a Major title. He will not start among the favorites even at the US Open, where he lifted his latest trophy in 2023 by beating Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Novak will certainly have less pressure than usual in the Big Apple and will also have to hope for a bit of luck, otherwise it will be difficult to defeat Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who have taken control of the men's tour by sharing the last seven Grand Slam titles.

Nole is having fun in Croatia

Barring any surprises, the Serbian veteran is expected to participate in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 before the US Open. He won his latest title in Ohio two years ago by beating Alcaraz at the end of an epic final, while last year he skipped this event to recharge his batteries after the Paris Olympics.

Meanwhile, Nole was spotted enjoying his holidays in Croatia and was joined by former Real Madrid star Luka Modric. In a video circulating on social media, Novak can be seen having fun on an electric surfboard.

Social media divided over Charlie Woods’ future in golf after recent setback

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Charlie Woods

Charlie Woods has been making headlines for the last few days, after missing a cut at one of the prestigious junior tournaments. 

Every time he plays, he’s under the public’s watchful eye, and the expectations week after week are really high.

How to deal with such pressure? 

Being a 16-year-old boy implies a lack of experience and weaker coping mechanisms, but most believe that Tiger Woods can be the one to guide him on the right path. 

The 16-year-old has had some lackluster games this year, but also some superior ones, with it being difficult to predict how much potential Charlie really has. 

After a recent setback in a junior tournament, the public reacted with mixed feelings about the young golfer’s future.

Reactions

Social media is full of comments about Charlie Woods, and one golf fan reminded everyone that the most important thing for Charlie is simply to enjoy playing the game.

"If he makes it or not it’s ok. It’s great to see him playing a game he loves. And something him and his dad can do for a long time to come. Best game in the world.."- one of the fans wrote.

One of the fans was also a voice of reason, saying that it's hard to deal with the pressure when you have a father who is a golf icon.

"He’s gotten better, but as most kids that have a father who was the greatest of all time….gonna be a tough road.."- he wrote.

Some reminded of athletes from history who had parents who dominated in a certain sport. 

Tiger has set the bar so high that few can even come close.

"He is going to be a okay golfer. usually kids wants to be like their parent and they are never good as their parent.  he has to much pressure on him.."

There are those who believe that a 16-year-old does not have the quality needed to be nearly as dominant as his father.

"Maybe he just isn’t that good yet but you guys are acting like he’s about to win a major.."- one of the fans wrote.

Either way, time will tell.

It seems unnecessary to create pressure on a boy who has yet to show his qualities.

Zheng Qinwen Undergoes Right Elbow Surgery

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"This is just a short break, and I see it as a necessary step toward a better version of myself on court," Olympic gold medal champion said.arthroscopic surgery

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, July 20, 2025
Photo credit: Zheng Qinwen Instagram

Zheng Qinwen is recovering after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her right elbow.

The Olympic gold-medal champion said on social media she's been suffering from elbow pain in recent months.

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"Over the past months, I’ve been dealing with persistent pain in my right elbow during training and matches. Despite trying various treatments to manage it, the discomfort never fully went away," Zheng wrote in an Instagram post. "After consulting with elbow specialists and discussing thoroughly with my team, we decided that arthroscopic surgery was the best option to fully resolve the issue.

"Yesterday, I underwent the procedure successfully, and I’m grateful to have it behind me."

It is uncertain when the former Australian Open finalist can return though Zheng said she envisions "just a short break."

"Now begins the recovery journey. Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be focusing entirely on rehab—doing everything I can to come back stronger and healthier," Zheng said. "This is just a short break, and I see it as a necessary step toward a better version of myself on court."

The world No. 6 reached the quarterfinals or better in six of her last eight tournaments.

A Rome semifinalist, Zheng reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals and Queen's Club semifinals bowing to Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova before she suffered a first-round loss to Katerina Siniakova at Wimbledon.

Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka to Play US Open Mixed Doubles

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Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter will partner in new US Open mixed doubles format.Alex de Minaur Donna Vekic

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Monday, July 21, 2025
Photo credit: Four Seasons

Venus Williams will celebrate the 25th anniversary of her maiden US Open crown returning to play Flushing Meadows.

Former world No. 1 Venus will partner good friend Reilly Opelka in next month's US Open Mixed Doubles event, the USTA announced today.

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The 45-year-old Venus is set to play her first pro match in 16 months in Washington, DC this week.

A quarter century ago, Venus Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport 6-4, 7-5 to capture her first US Open singles crown. Venus successfully defended the US Open in 2001 when she defeated younger sister and 1999 champion Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 in one of the most-widely viewed US Open women's finals.

Proving the couple that plays together, stays together, Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur will partner fiancee Katie Boulter at the US Open.

"Yeah, we're definitely going to be keen to try and play if they allow us to and if they want us to," de Minaur told the media at Queen's Club last month. "If that's an option, then we'll definitely be up for it."

One of tennis' top glamor couples announced their engagement on December 23rd on social media.

Earlier this season, de Minaur shared earning "big bucks" to pay for the wedding is one of his driving forces on court these days.

“Realistically, what's driving me at the moment is trying to earn some big bucks for this wedding budget,” De Minaur told Tennis Channel in April. “That's the only thing on my mind—trying to win as many matches as I can, because I've started to look at venues and it's expensive. I can tell you that.”

Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who have reportedly endeded their relationship, are no longer on the US Open Mixed Doubles entry list.

Given the US Open Mixed Doubles champions will earn $1 Million for capturing the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles crown, that could be even more motivation for de Minaur and Boulter to join forces in Flushing Meadows and cover their wedding budget.

In total, 25 teams have now entered the event.

The competition will take place during US Open Fan Week on Tuesday, August 19, and Wednesday, August 20, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with $1 Million in prize money being awarded to the winning team.

Though Fan Week remains free, fans will need to buy tickets to watch the US Open Mixed Doubles.

The entry window will close on July 28th at 12:00 ET, at which time the top eight teams with the best combined singles ranking at the time will officially be in the field/draw via direct acceptance.

The remaining eight teams will be determined via wild card and announced on a date to follow.

The entry list for the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship includes the following teams:

Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner
Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune
Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul
Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti
Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz
Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev
Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe
Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov
Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev
Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic
Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios
Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur
Donna Vekic and Hubert Hurkacz
Gaby Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime
Demi Schuurs and Tallon Griekspoor
Katerina Siniakova and Marcelo Arevalo
Desirae Krawczyk and Evan King
Su-Wei Hsieh and Jan Zielinski
Iva Jovic and Jenson Brooksby
Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka

“In our initial discussions about reimagining and elevating the US Open Mixed Doubles Championship, we wanted to find a way to showcase the world’s best men and women competing with and against one another, and we were confident that we would be able to get the top players in the game excited about this unique opportunity,” said Lew Sherr, CEO and Executive Director, USTA. “Seeing the teams that have already put their names on the entry list makes us all incredibly excited.

"It shows that the players are behind what we are trying to do, and we know that the fans will love it.”