Here's what's been buzzing in the social media world over the last day, from fun stuff to tennis court action, as we count down the last week before Christmas.

Today's highlights feature Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Donna Vekic, and Jasmine Paolini.

Nadal Spotted in Jeddah

Rafa showed up in Jeddah, bringing some major star power to the Next Gen ATP Finals, which head into the semi-finals this Saturday. He's got a cast on his hand after recent surgery, but he was still happy to pose for pics with fans.

Nadal watched the all-Spanish match between Rafael Jodar and Martin Landaluce. Jodar said Nadal is his idol, and Landaluce trains at Nadal's academy in Mallorca.

Fans loved seeing Nadal there, saying he's helping the sport's future in the country. He's been promoting tennis there and has been some type of brand ambassador since the start of 2024. He'll be in Jeddah all weekend to see who wins.

He is also around to cheer on grassroots participation and support training programs for the budding tennis nation.

"We dig this event; we've been before, and it's awesome to see young players," said fan Jayshree Babu, according to ATP. Tennis is really picking up in Saudi Arabia, and it's cool to see the attention it's getting. With people like Nadal coming, it makes it even more exciting.

Djokovic Trains Next-Gen Greek Player

Novak Djokovic, who lives in Greece now, spent some time training with young tennis talents during his break. Most recently, he coached 14-year-old Rafael Pagonis.

Pagonis lost in the Wimbledon U-14 final this year but is considered a rising star.

Great to hang with young Greek star Rafael Pagonis. Djokovic posted on Instagram. Future star of our sport. (Remember this coaching session when you win your first Slam!)”

Pagonis was stoked to train with Djokovic. "Today I had a dream that I was invited to play tennis with the G.O.A.T., Novak Djokovic," he said.

“He was so kind and generous, and he told me the secrets of his return. Please don’t wake me up! Thank you, Novak Djokovic, for this out-of-this-world experience! See you soon…”

Stefanos Tsitsipas trained with Pagonis before and said he has a great future in tennis.

“He's very impressive, and I can’t wait to see him at a high ATP level. I hope I can catch him to play Davis Cup together,” he said. “He has great potential. He seems dedicated and focused on what he does. I am very happy that we have such an athlete from our country; he will not only be a good athlete, but I believe he will be an excellent athlete in the future.”

Vekic Trains with Marion Bartoli

Donna Vekic had a special practice session today with former Wimbledon champ Marion Bartoli.

Vekic has dropped to world no. 69 and has only made one quarter-final this year. This is way off from her 2024, where she killed it at the Olympics and Wimbledon.

The 29-year-old trained with Bartoli recently. She posted a pic on Instagram with Bartoli. The 2013 Wimbledon winner was a special guest for a session. Vekic will kick off her 2026 season at the WTA 250 in Auckland from January 5 to 11.

Bartoli is now known for her commentary, so a comeback isn't on the horizon.

Bublik Slams Tennis Balls...Again

Alexander Bublik started a debate about the tennis balls used at tournaments on Telegram. Not good buzz for the tourney in the approaching weeks.

High-quality balls from a Grand Slam tournament. After five minutes of practising a slice, Bublik wrote on Telegram.

Some said they were old balls, but Bublik fired back, saying, "We'll be playing with this s*** in men's singles and doubles."

He added that the video is from just 20 minutes of practice. Ouch.

Paolini Photo Wins Award

Jasmine Paolini became a viral sensation with a rad photo by Ray Giublio. It won the ITF Photograph of the Year.

The photo got a lot of attention, and Giubilo is taking home the top prize. The shot captures Paolini changing direction mid-rally. Her face is perfectly framed by the oval of her racket, with her eyes and mouth lined up with the circles and triangle of the logo.

ITF President David Haggerty said, “The ITF Tennis Photograph of the Year points out the creativity, skill, and passion of photographers from across the tennis community. This year, we received entries from 37 countries. The winning image stood out for its originality, precision, and storytelling, while the overall shortlist showcases everything from grassroots tennis to the top of the game. I would like to congratulate all those whose work was recognised and thank everyone who took part.”

Garbiñe Muguruza said, “The quality and variety of the images submitted this year were outstanding. From the professional tour to grassroots and junior tennis, the shortlisted photographs tell powerful stories in our sport around the world. The winning image is original and shows how a moment can say so much.”

Ray Giubilo said, “I am thrilled to learn that my photo of Jasmine Paolini has been chosen as the ITF Tennis Photograph of the Year 2025. It means a lot to me, especially because this photo was up with so many other beautiful images. I knew I had submitted a nice image, but knowing the talent of my peers, I wasn't so sure it was going to be the winning photo. I feel that this is not only my success but also for the brotherhood of tennis photographers with whom I have shared so many unforgettable moments of tennis in the last 37 years.

Good job to Ray Giubilo. With the standard set for generations by the Big Three and Serena, it’s hard to imagine anyone topping this… Great timing, and what a shot!

So, Carlos Alcaraz and his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, are splitting up after six years, which came as a shock to everyone. It's a big change for Alcaraz, and people are wondering why now.

But Alcaraz’s first coach, Kiko Navarro, thinks that it wasn't really Alcaraz's call. He told a Spanish radio station that it was more about what was going on around them than what Carlos wanted. He really backs his coaches. He was loyal to me, and I know he felt the same about Juan Carlos. But sometimes decisions are made for reasons outside of sports and beyond anyone's control.

“Juan Carlos did an amazing job. I worked with him, too, and there's not much to fault him for. The people who decided this, and it wasn’t Carlos, must have their own reasons, but I don't know them yet.

“I mean, I heard some stuff from his dad a while back, but it’s not the right time to talk about that. I'll get the full story tomorrow.

“He's practising at the club tomorrow. I saw him a couple of days ago, and he didn't say anything about it.

“They’ve been really quiet about it, and everything has to end eventually. I was surprised, but I would've been even more shocked if it had happened last year. It totally caught me off guard.

“Of course, I'm friends with the family, so I know some things, but it's still a shock.”

Navarro thinks Alcaraz might get a coach with a bigger name next season.

“I know for a fact that Alcaraz’s dad, who’s in charge, is a big fan of Samu [Samuel Lopez] and knows he's a pro.

“It kinda bums me out that it seems like you need a big name to train Carlos, like Ferrero or Moya, Djokovic or Nadal.

“I don't think that's true. What matters is that Carlos respects the coach. Samu Lopez actually has more coaching experience than Ferrero because he's worked with Nico Almagro and Pablo Carreño and knows his way around the tour.

“He’s down-to-earth and a total pro, and I think he and his dad see him as Alcaraz’s original coach.

“But I think they'll need someone else too, since the season is long and there's a lot of travelling. Maybe that second person will be more famous than Samu, but that doesn't mean they'll be the main coach. I'd bet that Samu Lopez will be the head coach, even though I haven't talked to his dad yet.”