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Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka's social media banter continues as Matteo Berrettini fuels comeback hopes after practice with Jannik Sinner

In a new Daily Dose of Social Media, ATP and WTA stars once again gave fans something to talk about. Notably, Novak Djokovic shared a post from a photoshoot and gave a shout-out to his colleague, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Meanwhile, Matteo Berrettini posted a photo of himself training with Jannik Sinner, creating excitement about a potential return for the US Open. Lastly, Belinda Bencic and Leylah Fernandez shared some snapshots from their return to the courts at the Canadian Open in Montreal.

Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner practice together

Matteo Berrettini shared a photo of himself training with Jannik Sinner, creating excitement for a potential return after a long injury absence. This week, Sinner decided to skip the Canadian Open to take physical precautions ahead of his next challenges and after being crowned Wimbledon champion. Sinner is expected to return next week at the Cincinnati Open, a tournament where he is the defending champion, before traveling to New York to play in the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year.

On the other hand, Berrettini has been dealing with physical issues for some time, which forced him to miss Roland Garros and a large part of the grass-court swing. In his return at Wimbledon, he fell in 5 sets to Kamil Majchrzak in the first round, and then announced that a relapse of his injury would force him to take more time away from the courts. Berrettini missed Canada and will also not be in Cincinnati, but he is in the process of recovery in hopes of being ready to compete in the US Open at the end of the month.

Djokovic and Sabalenka's playful banter continues on Instagram

Novak Djokovic shared a series of photos from his GQ photoshoot and sent a message to Aryna Sabalenka, joking about the poses he struck in the pictures. "Throwback to my @gq shoot. This is how you strike a pose, @arynasabalenka ," the 24-time Grand Slam champion wrote in his post, receiving a response from his WTA No. 1 colleague. "I have to admit, you did well " commented the Belarusian Sabalenka.

Djokovic and Sabalenka have shared several playful moments recently and have often shown the good relationship they have off the courts. During the past Australian Open, both were sending indirect messages and responding to each other with dances on social media after their matches, while during the last Wimbledon, they had a unique $100 bet where they tried to knock down a can during a joint practice session on the grass courts, and Sabalenka surprised the Serb by beating him

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Una publicación compartida de Novak Djokovic (@djokernole)

Ben Shelton plays 'Hit or Miss'

Ben Shelton participated in a fun video where he played a 'hit or miss' game, having to choose one of two options for various statements. The world No. 8 responded to questions about whether he would play doubles with his father or hit a tweener in the first game of a match, among others.

The American No. 2 is competing this week at the Canadian Open, where he reached the third round after defeating Adrian Mannarino in his debut. Shelton returns to the court this Friday to face his compatriot, 25th seed Brandon Nakashima, for a spot in the Round of 16.

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Una publicación compartida de Overtime Tennis (@overtimetennis)

Paula Badosa shares update on vacations

Paula Badosa shared a series of photos on social media while recovering from an injury, during a time away from the headlines. The Spaniard played her last tournament at Wimbledon, where she fell in the first round to Katie Boulter. Shortly after, she confirmed a relapse of her back injury, forcing her to take a prolonged break, which meant she would miss the Canadian Open and also won't be at the upcoming US Open.

The world No. 10 is not expected to return until the end of the month at the US Open, where she will be the 10th seed and will arrive without having competed in any hardcourt tournaments in the weeks prior. The Spaniard will also be in the US Open mixed doubles a few days before the singles draw begins, partnering with Jack Draper. Initially, Badosa was registered with Stefanos Tsitsipas, but recent reports suggest their relationship recently ended and the news that they will no longer play the US Open together seems to confirm it, despite neither of them having made a statement to officially announce their supposed breakup.

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Una publicación compartida de Paula Badosa (@paulabadosa)

Belinda Bencic and Leylah Fernandez share Montreal moments

Belinda Bencic and Leylah Fernandez were among those who shared some photos from their first few days in Montreal at the start of the Canadian Open. The Swiss, in particular, has been in great form all year and came to Montreal with high hopes after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, her second WTA 1000 semifinal, achieving it 6 years after reaching the semis at the 2019 US Open – where she fell to eventual champion Bianca Andreescu.

Bencic debuted in the second round against local favorite Eugenie Bouchard, defeating her in a tight three-set match. This marked Genie's last professional match, as she received a standing ovation from a full stadium that attended the tournament to witness the farewell of the former Wimbledon finalist.

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Una publicación compartida de Belinda Bencic (@belindabencic)

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Una publicación compartida de Dayana Yastremska (@dayana_yastremskay)

Leylah Fernandez, for her part, shared a series of photos from her short time in Montreal after falling in her tournament debut to Australian Maya Joint. Fernandez was coming off a great campaign at the DC Open, where she won her first WTA 500 title, defeating Anna Kalinskaya in the final.

The 2021 US Open runner-up, however, had a forgettable appearance at the Canadian Open, where she not only fell in singles but also couldn't get past the first round in doubles with her sister, Bianca Fernandez – losing to the top-seeded pair of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.

"The last 72 hours in Montreal have been... eventful. But I want to leave Montreal with my head held high and with fond memories, because there have been many fond memories," she wrote. "I would have loved to put on a show for you this week despite the difficult circumstances. Thank you for your support through the ups and downs. I love you, Montreal, I'll be back. See you soon ❤️"

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Una publicación compartida de @leylahanniefernandez (@leylahannietennis)

This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.

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