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No one nowadays takes World No. 1 Novak Djokovic's injury "seriously," according to tennis commentator Craig Shapiro. This comes after the Serb suffered from wrist issues during the 2024 United Cup.
Former tennis pro Monica Puig believes Paula Badosa will face a lot of criticism in her comeback this year for being in the spotlight for her relationship with boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Boris Becker is all set to work alongside Nick Kyrgios despite the duo's recent feud. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff hilariously debunked false claims of Serena Williams inspiring her 2024 Australian Open outfit.
On that note, here's a quick rundown of the day's biggest headlines:
1) Novak Djokovic's injuries are not taken seriously by people nowadays, says Craig Shapiro
Novak Djokovic recently made his debut for Team Serbia at the 2024 United Cup. However, things didn't end well for the 24-time Grand Slam champion as he suffered from a wrist injury that caused him to lose 6-4, 6-4 to Australia's Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals.
Following that, on the latest episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, tennis commentator Craig Shapiro discussed Djokovic's injury situation ahead of the 2024 Australian Open.
Shapiro alluded to the Serb's title-winning run at the Melbourne Slam last year while suffering from hamstring issues, saying that is the reason why no one takes his injuries "seriously" anymore.
"People thought Novak was hurt last year. He seemed to have his issues but no one takes his injuries seriously anymore, after what he did with that hamstring," Shapiro said (at 12:00).
2) Boris Becker will work with Nick Kyrgios despite recent feud
Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker are set for a reunion at the 2024 Australian Open after Eurosport announced on Monday that the pair are among a few big tennis names who will share their thoughts during the Major at Melbourne Park.
This follows their social media feud over Kyrgios' controversial remarks. It all started after the Aussie compared tennis generations in a conversation with The Athletic in December 2023, saying that the game was slower back then. He also claimed that someone like Becker would not be as good as he was if he played now.
Following that, the German took shots at the former Wimbledon finalist on X (formerly Twitter) and vice versa. Other renowned tennis personalities also chose sides in the battle of old and new.
3) Monica Puig says Paula Badosa will face a hard time in her comeback because of her relationship with Stefanos Tsitsipas
Paula Badosa made her return to the WTA Tour after a lengthy injury layoff, competing in the first round of the Adelaide International but losing to American Bernarda Pera.
Following that, Monica Puig stated on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast that the Spaniard will face a "challenging" battle with criticism for being in the spotlight because of her relationship with boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas.
"She [Badosa] is always talking about her mental health and how much she has struggled with the pressure in dealing with all of that. She’s in the spotlight with her boyfriend and now there is a lot of criticism about tennis players and their personal lives as well. Dealing with that is very, very challenging," Puig said (at 9:13).
The 2016 Olympic gold medalist added:
"But right now, pressure is off, nobody is really expecting much from her so she has to kind of roll with the punches at the beginning of this year."
4) Coco Gauff hilariously refutes claims of her Australian Open 2024 kit being inspired by Serena Williams
Coco Gauff's 2024 Australian Open kit has been circulating on social media platforms with the Major being around the corner. The American will wear two outfits from the New Balance x Australian Open collection.
Her first kit will be a yellow top and skirt with navy stripes on both, with the alternate kit being the polar opposite, consisting of a navy top and skirt with yellow stripes.
In light of this, one fan on X (formerly Twitter) made a joke, sharing a picture of the legendary Serena Williams wearing a similar colored kit and a false quote from Gauff revealing her inspiration behind the outfit.
"With this kit, I definitely wanted to channel my inner Serena. She is an inspiration on and off the court so this one is for her… it even has the lil crop top she had," the fan posted.
The fan later confessed that the quotes were fake, surprised by how many people fell for it. Even Coco Gauff herself commented under the tweet, admitting she too was "fooled" and felt like she was going "crazy."
"You had me fooled. I even sent the tweet to my agent, and I was like "I don’t remember ever saying this?" nothing wrong with it ya’ll know I love Serena it wasn’t inspired by her kit. She is a fashion queen tho!! I just literally thought I was going crazy for two mins hahaha," Gauff wrote.
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