Welcome to this week's edition of "Hot Shots," a USOpen.org-curated look at what you may have missed on social media over the past week. This week's social buzz is all about tennis' baby boom, as Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, all announced the births of their daughters.
October's a month for pumpkins, candy and ... tennis babies? It certainly seems so: On Saturday, tennis' power couple of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, all announced the birth of their daughters.
Monfils and Svitolina each posted a sweet photo touching their newborn's hand, where they announced the baby's name as Skaï Monfils.
"I had the most amazing night of my life, which ended with the most beautiful gift around 6:00 a.m.," Monfils wrote in his post. "Elina was strong and brave, I can't [thank] enough my wife and God for this special moment. Welcome to the world my little princess."
"What a night," Svitolina added in hers. "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Skaï Monfils. Can’t thanks enough my husband to live [through] this unforgettable moment with me."
Monfils and Svitolina began their relationship in 2019, announced their engagement last April, and were married last July. Svitolina announced she'd be taking a break from tennis in March, as a result of injuries and the emotional toll of the war in her home country, and the couple announced they were expecting in May.
The kudos came quickly from the tennis family: Players including Victoria Azarenka, Belinda Bencic, Angelique Kerber and Johanna Konta, as well as Svitolina's fellow Ukrainians Lesia Tsurenko and Marta Kostyuk, sent congratulatory messages in the comments of the couple's posts.
For his part, Medvedev revealed his happy news to the world by posting a picture of his new daughter with wife Daria on Instagram, with “Welcome to the world baby girl" written as the caption along with the date of Oct. 14.
Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune and Karen Khachanov were among Medvedev's peers to congratulate him in the comments, with the latter, a father to 3-year-old David, writing: "Welcome to the club, papa."
Rafael Nadal says all are 'happy' and 'well' after report of son's birth
Amind reports that he and his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, welcomed a son earlier this month, Rafael Nadal made his first veiled reference to the child's birth in his first Tweet in two weeks. Reportedly, their son's been named after his father: Rafael Nadal Perello.
While he stopped short of officially confirming the reports, Nadal wrote that all is well. "After a few days and many loving messages, I just wanted to thank you all!" he wrote. "We are very happy, and everyone is very well! A big hug.”
Naomi Osaka heads to Paris ahead of birthday celebrations
Days ahead of her 25th birthday earlier this week, two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka was out and about in Paris at the Louvre. Osaka will turn 25 on Oct. 16, and the Japanese star shared several snaps of her posing outside the famed art museum in Paris, as well as one of sunset over the Eiffel Tower.
The four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 has had a busy month on social media already: Last week, she announced a new partnership with Victoria's Secret's VS Collective, and also that her first children’s book, The Way Champs Play, will be released next month.
Aryna Sabalenka rocks out with Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz
At the San Diego Open this week, Aryna Sabalenka had a very famous doubles partner for a good cause: Pete Wentz, the bassist and lyricist for the Grammy-nominated rock band Fall Out Boy.
On Day 1 of the WTA 500 tournament, Sabalenka participated in a charity mixed doubles match with Wentz and his tennis coach Christopher Crabb to benefit the Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego.
Wentz is one of Hollywood's most avid tennis players, sometimes playing up to six hours a day, and told Tennis.com's Joel Drucker at the BNP Paribas Open this year that he loves Sabalenka's intensity and Nick Kyrgios' athleticism.
Might there be a US Open wild card in their future? The seeds have been sown.
“Just me and superstar @petwentz,” Sabalenka wrote in a caption of the photo of the two, where Wentz replied: “Is it too early to make shirts for our doubles team?”
