WHY DID RAFAEL NADAL RETURN TO JEDDAH? INSIDE DJOKOVIC’S SECRET COACHING OF RAFAEL PAGONIS
Rafael Nadal shines in Jeddah, and Novak Djokovic coaches a rising star as tennis stars wrap up 2025 with major social media buzz.
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!
WHY DID NOVAK DJOKOVIC REACH OUT TO MOISE KOUAME DESPITE WITHDRAWING FROM MIAMI 2026?
Moise Kouame, 17, becomes the youngest Miami Open winner in history and reveals a secret Instagram DM from Novak Djokovic.
Moise Kouame is only 17, but he’s already catching everyone’s eye in tennis. He started this year on fire, grabbing back-to-back ITF titles, then reaching a Challenger semi-final. Now, he's just picked up his first-ever win on the ATP Tour at a Masters 1000 event, no less.
In other news, Leicester City is fighting back against a six-point penalty for breaking financial rules.
Back to Kouame, the world No. 385 pulled off a gritty comeback against Zachary Svajda, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, even while cramping up by the end. People packed Court 7 to watch him make his Masters 1000 debut as a wildcard. Even Novak Djokovic, who skipped the tournament with a shoulder injury, was watching from afar. Since 2019, Djokovic has only played in Miami once, when he was runner-up last year, but clearly, he’s still following the action.
Now, Kouame has made a bit of history. At 17 years and 13 days old, he’s the youngest man ever to win a match at the Miami Open, matched a Nadal record from 2003, and became the seventh-youngest winner at this level. Not bad for a debut. And then, right after his win, he got a message from his idol. Honestly, Kouame was left speechless.
When Steve Weissman from Tennis Channel interviewed him after his first main-draw tour win, Kouame couldn’t hide his nerves. “Actually, I have a small secret. After the win, Novak texted me. I’m so nervous. I don’t know what to answer! I’m really so nervous right now. I don’t know if I’m going to answer. Maybe if you have tips, maybe you can give me?”
He tried to figure out what to say. Should he just text, "Thank you, Novak"? Or maybe, "Thank you, my idol"? Nothing sounded right. “No, never [met him]. It’s my dream. [It was] on Instagram! He DMed me. So, imagine having your idol DM you like this. Oh my god. This is too much for me. Oh my god. Coolest thing ever.”
Weissman jumped in with a bit of advice, too: “Don’t just double-tap it; you’ve got to give a response. ‘Thanks so much, Novak. If you have any time to meet in the future, that would be amazing. Any tips you have, maybe some advice.’
Some tips from Djokovic would come in handy, especially with Kouame set to face 21st seed Jiri Lehecka next. He had to see the physio for cramps after his first-round win, but told Tennis Channel he was doing alright, just a little jittery about talking live on TV.
“Now I’m feeling good, quite stressed! Obviously, we’re live, and my English, all this – I’m quite stressed. But in the match it was cool. I had some cramps, but yeah, I managed to get over it and win at the end. I’m really happy with it,” he said.
What a ride: first big ATP win, a message from Djokovic, and now the whole tennis world is watching.
INSIDE JANNIK SINNER’S HISTORIC INDIAN WELLS VICTORY AS FIRST ITALIAN MALE CHAMPION
Jannik Sinner makes history as the first Italian man to win Indian Wells, defeating Daniil Medvedev in two tiebreaks.
Jannik Sinner crushed Daniil Medvedev’s hopes at Indian Wells Sunday night. Medvedev looked sharp all week; he even took down Carlos Alcaraz to reach the final.
But when it came to the championship match, Sinner edged him out in two tense tiebreaks, 7-6, 7-6. Medvedev’s loss stings, but let’s be real: his level this week showed he’s back to fighting for big trophies after a pretty rough 2025.
He’s set a big goal for himself, too, with all the pressure that comes along with it. After the match, Medvedev, now 30, talked about whether he’s the one who can break up Alcaraz and Sinner’s grip at the top; he even admitted he slipped up a bit in the final.
On that note, it’s wild how Alcaraz and Sinner have ruled the ATP Tour lately. Between them, they’ve grabbed the last nine Grand Slam titles and barely given anyone else a chance. Still, Medvedev made things interesting at Indian Wells by beating Alcaraz and pushing Sinner to the edge.
In his post-match press conference, Medvedev shared his thoughts on his future and the big question: Can he really challenge Sinner and Alcaraz?
He said, “Honestly, it’s a pleasure to play Sinner and Alcaraz. Last year, I didn’t even get a shot; they were out of reach because I kept losing early. I’m glad this time I played well enough to beat the others first, took down Carlos, and then got to face Jannik.
My goal? Not to obsess over them, but to work on my own game, beat everyone else, and then, chances are, in Miami, I'm going to run into one of them in the semis or the final if I play out of my mind.”
He continued, “It’s tough to say if I’m the guy to challenge them, honestly. I’ve lost a bunch against them, and again today with Jannik. But I know I can play top-level tennis. Whoever I meet next, whether it’s Carlos, Jannik, or someone else, I’ll just try to play my best tennis. I proved I can do it again here, in Dubai, and in Brisbane.
On any given day, anyone can challenge them; look at Jakub beating Jannik in Doha or me beating Carlos here. So it’s not just me, not just Novak, not just Sascha. But it’s hard, and that’s why by the end of the season, those guys have sixty wins and only five or six losses, half of those losses coming against each other. It’s a tough mountain to climb, but you just keep trying.”
Now, Sinner, Alcaraz, and Medvedev head to the Miami Masters, which kicks off Tuesday. The last time around, Jakub Mensik won there; it’s the second Masters 1000 event of 2026.
Sinner made history on Sunday. No Italian man had ever won Indian Wells until he pulled it off. He now owns 25 ATP titles and is the youngest player to win all six ATP hard-court Masters events. Back in 1974, John Newcombe was the tournament’s first champ, beating Arthur Ashe in the final. Since then, Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have all lifted the trophy. Federer and Djokovic sit at the top with five Indian Wells titles each.
