Tennis News Roundup: Taylor Fritz's girlfriend makes a statement at anti-Donald Trump 'No Kings' protest; Novak Djokovic trolled after Six Kings Slam retirement

WTA stars Leylah Fernandez and Elena Rybakina enjoyed victories after a long hiatus earlier today. The Canadian won her fifth career title at the Japan Women's Open, and Rybakina lifted the title at the Ningbo Open.

Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev ended his title drought with his win at Almaty, alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime, who turned his year around with a title at the European Open in Brussels. Casper Ruud also made a strong comeback from injury to win the title in Stockholm.

On that note, let us take a look at some of the top stories of the day:

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#1. Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle joins 'No Kings' protest

Taylor Fritz's girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, joined the 'No Kings' Protest to show her disapproval of the President's immigration policies. She joined the Minnesota rally, alongside thousands of locals, on October 18.

The American entrepreneur and social media personality, Riddle, shared pictures of herself from the rally. She shared a glimpse of her black t-shirt and blue jeans ensemble for the protest, with a quote on her top, which said,

"Immigrants Make America Great."

Meanwhile, Fritz prepares himself to make a mark at the Swiss Indoors starting Monday.

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#2. Novak Djokovic trolled by fans on withdrawing from Six Kings Slam

Novak Djokovic was mocked by tennis fans, as the Serb withdrew from the third-place match at the Six Kings Slam, just a day before. The 24-time Grand Slam champion faced Taylor Fritz in the match but faced difficulties continuing after a very demanding 75-minute-long first set.

Djokovic informed that he might have picked up an injury on his left leg; however, fans didn't back down from throwing shade at him for withdrawing from the exhibition showdown.

“Lol retiring from an exhibition. Talk about a cash grab,” wrote an user on X.

Djokovic might return to action for the Hellenic Championships in November.

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#3. Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper share feelings on 'demanding' ATP schedule

Players' concerns and struggles with the very busy ATP scheduling have been a major talking point this season. Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud also added to the conversation as they shared that they labelled the calendar 'physically demanding'.

As Holger Rune suffered an Achilles injury in Stockholm yesterday, ATP star Jack Draper spoke about the calendar for playing a major role in such outcomes. He wrote:

“Injuries are going to happen…we are pushing our bodies to do things they aren’t supposed to in elite sport...the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are gonna achieve some sort of longevity.”

To this, Fritz replied saying,

“Facts, also seeing more injuries and burnout now than ever before because balls, courts, conditions have slowed down a lot making the weekly grind even more physically demanding and tough on the body.”

Draper is also a victim of such situations, as he pulled out of the US Open due to injury and is yet to return to the court.

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#4. Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa continue their Dubai trip

Close friends and WTA stars Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa took a much-needed break and reunited with each other in Dubai to enjoy a weekend getaway. On the first night of their trip, they enjoyed a date night in the desert and posed for fun images.

This was followed by a beach outing the next day, where Sabalenka wore a bright yellow bikini and Badosa donned a black and white bikini. The duo shared messages with images of each other on Instagram and also showed off some moves in a TikTok video.

The two have been best friends for a long time, with Sabalenka attributing Badosa to be her 'Soulmate' in an earlier instance.

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#5. Chris Evert sends Martina Navratilova a heartfelt birthday wish

Martina Navratilova turned 69 on October 18, with her close friend and rival, Chris Evert, penning a heartfelt note for her on her special day. The duo share 18-Grand Slam titles each on the pro tour, and have been each other's biggest rivals throughout their careers.

However, that didn't stop them from sharing a special bond outside the court. Evert shared an image of herself with Navratilova and wrote:

"Happy Birthday to my former rival, current great friend @martinanavratilova. Wishing you lots of joy and love in your life going forward, because with a heart as big as yours, you deserve it!"

They have played against each other 80 times in their professional careers.