Tennis News Today: Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's daughter Jaz teases her parents on New Year; Novak Djokovic hit with injury ahead of Australian Open
Novak Djokovic's title defense at the upcoming Australian Open is under threat following an injury sustained during his United Cup campaign. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's daughter Jaz Agassi indulged in some good old fashioned ribbing after the couple posted a picture of them together.
Iga Swiatek bested Qinwen Zheng in the quarterfinals of the United Cup, but an incident involving the two prior to the match has gained traction. The Pole accidentally hit her younger adversary with her serve while warming up for the match.
Emma Radacanu has managed to make the main draw of the Australian Open and no longer has to go through the qualifying rounds. Leylah Fernandez left her United Cup teammates hanging during a team jump at Wylie's Baths.
On that note, here's a quick rundown of the day's biggest headlines:
1. Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi's daughter Jaz teases her parents following their New York Eve post
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi have remained the sport's foremost couple even after decades together. While their children haven't followed in their footsteps and taken up tennis, they are still in the limelight.
Graf and Agassi gave the fans a peek into their lives by posting a lovely picture of them together ushering in the new year.
Their daughter, Jaz Agassi, couldn't help resist making a tongue-in-cheek remark about the whole thing.
"Happy wife happy life," she wrote.
Jaz Agassi is no stranger to poking fun at her father, albeit in a good natured way, as she frequently reacts to her father's posts.
2. Novak Djokovic's Australian Open title defense takes a hit after United Cup injury
Novak Djokovic tasted his first defeat Down Under since 2018 after a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the United Cup. It put an end to his 43-match winning streak in the country. The Serb put in a muted performance as he was visibly bothered by a wrist injury.
Djokovic had also gotten treatment for the same during his previous match agaisnt Jiri Lehecka, but managed to prevail over the Czech. This time, unfortunately, the injury worsened and the World No. 1 wasn't able to compete at his usual level.
With the Australian Open right around the corner, the timing of the injury is pretty bad. However, Djokovic is feeling pretty confident that he'll recover in time for his title defense in Melbourne.
3. Iga Swiatek hits Qinwen Zheng while getting ready for their quarterfinal showdown
The quarterfinal bout between Iga Swiatek and Qinwen Zheng at the United Cup was off to a bad start. The World No. 1 accidentally hit the Chinese on the arm with her serve during the warm up.
Zheng didn't see it coming as she wasn't facing the right way, and didn't look too pleased about it. Swiatek, on her part, was quick to apologize about the incident. She would later defeat the Chinese in straight sets to send them packing out of the United Cup. Poland, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinals for the second straight year.
4. Emma Raducanu in the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open
Emma Raducanu initially faced the prospect of having to go through the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open as her own ranking wasn't enough for a direct entry. Her spot in the main draw was contingent on a bunch of other players withdrawing.
While it seemed like a long shot earlier, following a spate of withdrawals, Raducanu has now gained acceptance in the main draw. This will be her third straight showing at the Australian Open. She bowed out in the second round in her last two appearances in Melbourne.
5. Leylah Fernandez hilariously ditches her United Cup peers during a team jump at Wylie's Baths
Leylah Fernandez, hilariously ditched her United Cup teammates after initially promising to take a dive with them in the famous Wylie's Baths in Sydney. The incident was captured on camera and has social media abuzz with it.
Fernandez was ready to take the plunge with them, but had a change of heart. She was then seen making her way into the pool cautiously after that. The Canadian's challenge at the United Cup came to an end on Wednesday following a defeat to the Greek contingent.
The Canadians defeated Chile 2-1 in their first group tie, then took on the Greeks on Wednesday for a shot at making the quarterfinals. However, Fernandez lost her singles tie to Maria Sakkari, while Steven Diez went down to Stefanos Tsitsipas, bringing an end to their campaign.