Tennis News Today: Paula Badosa reacts to Aryna Sabalenka's comment on how their friendship helped her open up; Victoria Azarenka reacts to Novak Djokovic joking about ATP's new skit
Novak Djokovic had more fun commentary to add after the release of the ATP's hilarious new skit, which prompted a reaction from Victoria Azarenka. Aryna Sabalenka recently opened up about how her close bond with Paula Badosa has helped her through some tough times.
The latter has now reacted to her friend's revelations. Serena Williams has graced the cover of the special edition of British Vogue, alongside Oprah Winfrey, Salma Hayek and others. Frances Tiafoe was quite surprised none of his contemporaries picked him as an ideal boyfriend for their sisters in a Q&A at the Dallas Open.
Here's a brief rundown of the day's biggest stories:
Paula Badosa reacts to Aryna Sabalenka's admission of how their friendship has helped her out
Following a successful title defense at the Australian Open, Sabalenka had a quick chat with the WTA for its podcast. Among other things, she revealed how her friendship with Badosa has helped her navigate some troubled waters and open up even more.
"I've been through really difficult situations in life with some people and that's why I became that closed. I'm more open now. I have this friendship with Paula. It's really important to have friends," Sabalenka said.
Badosa acknowledged her friend's touching words and made it known in the comment section of the post.
Sabalenka and Badosa's closeness is no secret and the two often spend quality time together. Aside from their regular tour commitments, the duo are spotted at various other events having a good time by themselves.
Novak Djokovic's response to the ATP's new skit has Victoria Azarenka in splits
The ATP recently released a short video featuring the top stars, including Djokovic, acting in a sketch video. The skit is based on the premise that everything in tennis is scripted, and the players are simply fictional characters played by "real" actors. The clip has since gone viral following its release.
The "role" of Djokovic was played by a person named "Bert Critchley" in the video and he wanted to make the character more relatable by evoking a "personality". The Serb shared the video on his X (formerly Twitter) account and stated that the "director" of the show was responsible for his loss to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open.
"Normally the writers start the season with my character Novak winning the Australian Open title. So, for anyone that doesn’t like the beginning of this season, please contact the director 😂😂", Novak Djokovic tweeted on his X account.
Azarenka found Djokovic's response to be quite funny and reacted to it by sharing the post with a laughing emoji.
Following his Australian Open defeat, Djokovic has opted to compete directly at the Indian Wells Masters in March. It'll be his first appearance at the venue since 2019.
Frances Tiafoe bemused after his fellow players don't pick him as an ideal boyfriend for their sisters
The Dallas Open organizers had a quick chat with the players competing there. In a video released by them, the players were asked which one of their peers would make a great partner for their sisters.
While the likes of Tommy Paul, Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell refused to make a pick, Christopher Eubanks emerged as the popular choice among those who did. The American was nominated by Ben Shelton and Aleksandar Kovacevic.
Michael Mmoh chose Marcos Giron, who preferred J.J. Wolf for the same. Tiafoe was quite surprised with his name not being in the mix, but he chose Eubanks as well.
"I'mma go Eubanks, yeah, because he's like Mr. Nice Guy, you know, he'll never stop talking, but he's a super solid guy and he would take care of my sister," Tiafoe said.
"Wait, nobody picked me?," he added.
Tiafoe began his Dallas Open campaign with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Alex Michelsen. He'll next take on Giron in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Serena Williams to feature on the cover of British Vogue with Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities
Williams is set to be a part of a special edition of the British Vogue magazine. The 23-time Major champion will grace the cover of the March 2024 issue, which features an iconic line-up of celebrities from the entertainment business.
Oprah Winfrey, Salma Hayek, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford are among the 40 female personalities on the cover with Williams. Decked in either black or white outfits, all the women had previously been on the cover of the magazine at one point.
Williams herself was featured on the cover back in November 2020. This edition of the magazine also marks the swansong of its long-time editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful.