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 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
