Tennis News Today: Rafael Nadal refutes Novak Djokovic's intimidation claim, Petra Kvitova announces pregnancy, Naomi Osaka makes triumphant comeback
Rafael Nadal clarified that he had no intention of intimidating Novak Djokovic during their French Open encounters, responding to the Serb's claims about the matter, which garnered significant interest within the tennis community.
Petra Kvitova announced the joyous news of her pregnancy with her husband and long-time coach Jiri Vanek. Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka, who returned to the court following the birth of her daughter Shai, made a winning start to her comeback at the Brisbane International.
Djokovic grabbed attention once more by unveiling his new brand, SILA, amid his campaign at the United Cup. The team event also drew eyeballs due to Casper Ruud's sisters' off-court antics.
Here's a quick wrap-up of some of the biggest tennis news of the day:
Rafael Nadal refutes Novak Djokovic's intimidation claim
Novak Djokovic recently revealed his feelings about sharing a locker room with Rafael Nadal at the French Open.
Djokovic disclosed that witnessing the Spaniard's intense warm-up routine up close would irk him before heading onto the court. He also admitted that, in the early stages of his career, he would feel "intimidated" by it.
However, Nadal refuted any suggestion of wanting to intimidate the World No. 1, asserting that his primary focus had been on preparing himself for the contest ahead.
"It was never, never, never my intention. I warm up like this. I try to be prepared and ready to go, and I exercise, nothing more. I haven't heard what he said, honestly," Nadal told Spanish publication El Pais.
Petra Kvitova announces pregnancy with husband Jiri Vanek
Petra Kvitova took to social media and announced that she and her husband, Jiri Vanek, are expecting their first child together. She shared heartwarming pictures alongside the news, one showing the couple proudly holding up an ultrasound of their little one and another displaying a tiny onesie.
"On the first day of 2024 I wanted to wish you a happy new year and share the exciting news that Jiri and I will be welcoming a baby into our family this summer! 👼," she captioned her Instagram post.
The Czech's announcement prompted congratulatory messages from several tennis players, with the likes of Iga Swiatek, Ashleigh Barty and Caroline Wozniacki extending their best wishes to the couple.
Novak Djokovic launches Sila
Novak Djokovic is set to kick off his Australian Open title defense by launching the drink 'SILA by Novak Djokovic' on the day of the Major's commencement, January 14.
The drink is a joint venture with Waterdrop, in which the 24-time Grand Slam champion is a shareholder. Djokovic revealed that the brand, which was created 10 years ago, is aimed at 'enriching people's lives.'
"The idea to create Sila started more than 10 years ago. I started being more disciplined, passionate and relentless about finding the best ways to improve myself both on and off the court ... creating my own brand that could enrich people's lives the same way it did mine," the Serb said on Waterdrop's website.
Naomi Osaka wins first match after becoming a mother
Naomi Osaka welcomed her first child, daughter Shai, with longtime boyfriend Cordae in July 2023. Following a rigorous training period to prepare for her comeback, she made her return to the court at the Brisbane International after a 15-month hiatus.
The four-time Grand Slam champion showcased no signs of rust on her return, triumphing in her tournament opener. She beat Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 7-6(9) in one hour and 48 minutes.
The former World No. 1 will aim to sustain her winning momentum against Karolina Pliskova in the second round of the WTA 500 event.
Casper Ruud's sisters film mock runway walk at United Cup
Casper Ruud's sister Charlotte and cousin Josefine Falster stole the show at the United Cup. After Norway's second group-stage tie, the duo flaunted their modeling skills in the tunnel towards the locker room.
However, unbeknownst to them, their impromptu runway strut was caught on the security camera, much to their embarrassment. Ruud was left stunned as he reacted to the clip on X (formerly Twitter), posting:
"Oh my god..."
Casper Ruud's sister Charlotte later joked about having learned her lesson from the incident.