'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAb/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAnYIoB//EACAQAAEEAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQFAAYSMkEhUYH/2gAIAQEAAT8A13evnYx4Du4mWZ0SXy5Gau9esb1VVCAidA4ponlQsXQH4PWf/8QAGhEAAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAEQMFIv/aAAgBAgEBPwDYYkSygroz/8QAGhEBAAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIABBESIv/aAAgBAwEBPwCzkzDZzyV//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Martina Navratilova believes that World No. 1 Novak Djokovic shares similarities with John McEnroe. Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel, meanwhile, was all smiles as she posed for pictures with Roger Federer.
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci said that both Coco Gauff and Williams are like precious "gems," cut from the same stone. Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska shared her feelings about playing against Belarus' Victoria Azarenka at the 2024 Australian Open.
On that note, here's a quick recap of the day's biggest headlines:
Novak Djokovic reminds her of John McEnroe, says Martina Navratilova
Novak Djokovic has kicked off the 2024 Australian Open on a strong note, securing a spot in the quarterfinals after victories against 18-year-old qualifier Dino Prizmic, Alexei Popyrin, Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Adrian Mannarino. The Serb will next face Taylor Fritz on Tuesday (January 23).
However, Djokovic's path to the last eight was not without challenges. He encountered a heckler during his second-round match against Popyrin, leading to a heated exchange.
In connection with that incident, Martina Navratilova said that the 24-time Grand Slam champion's behavior reminded her of John McEnroe, who was famous for his on-court outbursts.
"He kind of reminds me of John McEnroe, creating a drama to get himself going. And sometimes, Novak does that with fans, he just picks on one and it gets him fired up. But you know, whatever works, sometimes, when the crowd gets negative on you, he goes negative, but it works for him," Navratilova said on Tennis Channel Live Podcast (at 39:40).
"At the end of the day, he wins most of those matches even though he looks like he's losing it emotionally, you know. But he never loses a point because of that, I think it just gives him extra energy, whatever works, yeah," she added.
Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel all smiles as she poses for pictures with Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel took pictures alongside her brother and tennis legend Roger Federer during the Swiss' visit to Nadal's academy in Mallorca, Spain.
Nadal showed Federer around his academy and Maribel, the academy's Marketing and Commercial Director, joined them. She later posted the pictures she took with the 20-time Major champion on Instagram.
"Visits that make you look forward to! 😍 " Maribel wrote.
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci compares Coco Gauff with the American
Coco Gauf is often compared with Serena Williams, and Williams' former coach Rick Macci recently shared his thoughts on the matter on X (formerly Twitter). He claimed that Gauff and Williams are both valuable "gems," cut from the same stone.
"@CocoGauff is an Olympic Sprinter with a racquet in her hand. @serenawilliams is an Olympic Champion with a racquet in her hand. Both GEMS cut from the same stone," Macci wrote.
Dayana Yastremska shares her feelings about playing Belarusia's Victoria Azarenka in Australian Open 4R
Dayana Yastremska's 2024 Australian Open journey so far has been nothing short of a fairytale. Starting from the qualifiers, the Ukrainian battled her way into the main draw, where she has scored wins over Marketa Vondrousova, Varvara Gracheva, Emma Navarro and Victoria Azarenka to reach the quarterfinals.
In a press conference following her fourth-round match against Azarenka, Yastremska was asked about how she felt playing against a Belarusian opponent amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in collusion with Belarus.
The Ukrainian replied:
"Playing against the Belarusian player? If I'm going to start talking about it, I think you're not going to like my answers so I'm just gonna say I want to skip this question.
"Because I think, like, if you're asking this question, I'm sure you know how is it for us, for Ukrainians to play against Russians and Belarusian. I'm sure you know, so I don't think it's a good way to ask about this question."
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
