Asian swing hype: Alcaraz goes 'Samurai,' Rune performs Japanese dance; Zheng, Sinner, and Raducanu attend Beijing event

Djokovic pays Emotional Tribute to 'Tennis Father'

Novak Djokovic shared an emotional post on social media after learning of the death of Nikola Pilić, who is considered the Serbian tennis player's "tennis father." The Croatian tennis legend coached Djokovic at his academy during the start of the 24-time Grand Slam champion's career and had a close relationship with "Nole." The death of the former Croatian star, who was 86 years old, was announced this Tuesday, and Djokovic left a heartfelt message on his social media:

"My parents and brothers always felt like you were family. When almost everyone turned their backs on us and as our country was destroyed in the bombing, you and I gave each other a hand and did everything we could to make sure my brothers and I could continue living our dream and practicing the sport we love."

"Your legacy will last for a long time, and generations will look back on your character and actions with great admiration. All your achievements as a player, coach, and trainer have been written in golden letters in the history books of Balkan sports and world tennis. For me, however, the most important thing is that I can proudly call you 'Sjor Niko, my tennis father'."

Zheng Qinwen joins Sinner, Osaka at Nike event ahead of China Open comeback

Zheng Qinwen is preparing for her return to the courts this week at the WTA 1000 China Open—a tournament where she reached the final in 2024 and which will mark the Chinese No. 1's return after two months away. Zheng has not had a great year, and injuries forced her to interrupt the season after her brief participation at Wimbledon, where she fell in the first round. Following her elimination on the grass courts on July 1st, Zheng announced she would be out of action for a while and soon after underwent surgery, missing the entire North American swing, including the US Open.

This week, Zheng awaits her return, looking to defend the significant number of points she accumulated at the end of the year in 2024. Zheng is on the verge of dropping out of the Top 10 if she doesn't manage to post good results again. While awaiting her debut, Zheng participated in pre-tournament activities as one of the stars who garnered the most attention and joined other stellar names from the men's and women's Tours, such as Jannik Sinner, Naomi Osaka, Karen Khachanov, and Emma Raducanu, among others, sharing photos at a Nike event in China.

Alcaraz trades racket for katana in Tokyo Samurai Museum visit

Carlos Alcaraz stole the spotlight upon his arrival in Tokyo for the Japan Open, where he participated in promotional activities for the tournament, dressing up as a Samurai at the Samurai Museum in Tokyo. "The Samurai Museum yesterday was funny to be honest, I like that, so having a great time with my family and team. The first day was great, a great experience."

The World No. 1 is preparing to return to the courts after his participation in the Laver Cup, where Team Europe ended up losing to Team World—who claimed their third title in the eighth edition. In his debut, Alcaraz fell to Taylor Fritz in a key victory for Team World, while on the final day, he began to lead a comeback—teaming up with Ruud in doubles and then securing a singles win against Francisco Cerúndolo—but it wasn't enough after Fritz played the hero by beating Alexander Zverev in the decisive match, giving the win to the team led by André Agassi.

Holger Rune dances into Japan Open with Traditional Kabuki Performance

Holger Rune was another player who drew attention in Tokyo after his participation dancing the traditional "Kabuki Dance Rejishi," dressed in traditional Japanese attire at the event and joining a traditional dance on stage at the players' party. The World No. 11 will play his first tournament following his appearance at the Laver Cup, where he suffered a singles defeat to Cerúndolo and a doubles loss with Casper Ruud.

The Dane is still searching for his best level of tennis and has been on a run of losses in recent months, including first-round eliminations at Wimbledon and the second round of the US Open. In the final part of the season, the former World No. 4 will try to recover his level and find good results that allow him to finish the year in the Top 10.