Tennis News Today: Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian grateful to Taylor Swift for daughter Olympia's first concert experience; Novak Djokovic playfully coaxes Rafael Nadal to dance in Riyadh

Novak Djokovic playfully urged his long-time rival Rafael Nadal to hit the dance floor with the former at the Six Kings Slam party. In other news, Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian expressed gratitude to the American pop star Taylor Swift for his daughter Olympia's memorable concert experience.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz was left amused as reporters ignored him to chase Rafael Nadal during the Six Kings Slam presser. Taylor Fritz compared the speed of rallies while playing with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Also, Novak Djokovic responded to speculations regarding his competitive spirit and performance level.

On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian thanks Taylor Swift for making daughter Olympia's first concert memorable

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian took their daughter Olympia to her first concert, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, in Miami on October 18. Ohanian shared their "amazing experience" on social media, noting it would be "very hard" to top Olympia's inaugural concert.

Ohanian also posted pictures of the night, featuring an adorable t-shirt that read, 'I love Taylor Swift (my daughter made me wear this).'

"I’m a Swiftie now. Amazing experience. Fantastic performance. Olympia’s first ever concert will be VERY hard to top. Thank you, @taylorswift," Ohanian captioned his Instagram post.

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Novak Djokovic playfully encourages Rafael Nadal to dance at Six Kings Slam bash

Novak Djokovic playfully urged his long-time rival Rafael Nadal to join him for a traditional Arabic dance at the 'Six Kings Slam' party in Riyadh.

The Serb, already in the groove, gestured for Nadal to join, and after some hesitation, the Spaniard handed his son to his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, and joined the dance.

Watch the videos here:

Nadal and Djokovic received a bye to the semifinals of the 'Six Kings Slam' but lost to Carlos Alcaraz and eventual champion Jannik Sinner, respectively. They faced off for third place on October 19, with the Serb winning 6-2, 7-6(5).

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Carlos Alcaraz hilariously snubbed by media as they surround Rafael Nadal after Six Kings Slam presser

Rafael Nadal completely stole the spotlight from Carlos Alcaraz during their post-match media appearance at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh. Both players were set for their post-match press conferences after Alcaraz’s 6-3, 6-3 victory over Nadal in the semifinals.

However, in a clip shared by Tennis Channel, Nadal was seen swarmed by reporters eager for autographs and selfies as he was leaving the room, while Alcaraz entered and sat alone. One reporter did eventually take a selfie with the 21-year-old, who humorously thanked him:

"Firstly, everyone was swarming around Rafa, so thank you for the selfie, because you were just there by yourself. So I was able to get that. Thank you," said the reporter.

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, who recently teamed up at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will once again represent Spain during the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is set to retire following this event.

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Taylor Fritz reveals insights on rally speed when facing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Taylor Fritz (Image source: Getty)

Taylor Fritz discussed the experience of playing against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, highlighting that their rally pace surpassed that of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer.

After their recent match in the China Open final, former World No. 1 Mats Wilander stirred controversy by claiming that "there is no way anyone has ever played better tennis" than Sinner and Alcaraz, including the Big 3.

Fritz emphasized the "crazy" pace of their baseline rallies, noting that both players showcase similar skills while being significantly faster.

"They just play these lateral baseline points," he said on Tennis Channel. "I don’t know what these crazy points you see Nadal and Federer – mostly you see Nadal and Novak have these long points corner to corner."

"But when Sinner and Alcaraz do it, I swear they’re doing the same rallies but hitting the ball 10 mph faster. It’s crazy," Fritz added.

Taylor Fritz recently concluded his Shanghai Masters campaign, where the seventh-seeded American lost 4-6, 6-7(6) to eventual runner-up Novak Djokovic.

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Novak Djokovic addresses concerns about his motivation and form

Novak Djokovic (Image source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic addressed questions about his tennis form following his 2-6, 7-6(0), 4-6 loss to Jannik Sinner in the Six Kings Slam semifinal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In an interview with LA NACION, the Serb discussed his thoughts on retirement, admitting that although he struggles with motivation at times, he still has the drive to compete and is not considering retirement.

"I still feel that I enjoy the process and it generates all these benefits for me, so why not do it? Some people think I should retire from tennis at the top: “You won gold, you won everything, say goodbye.” Some people think I should keep going as long as I still think I can be the favorite for a Grand Slam. I think more like them," the Serb said.

"Maybe I will change my mind, I don’t know. For now I feel like I want to keep going. How much longer? Traveling and finding motivation is becoming more difficult for me. It’s not easy. And even less so with children. I don’t want to be away from home for so long, but I still have the drive. So I feel sorry for those who want me to retire, because they will have to see me for a while longer," he added.

Novak Djokovic is gearing up to defend his title at the Paris Masters, which will take place from October 28 to November 3. The Serb has won a record seven titles and has a 50-9 win-loss record at the ATP Masters 1000 event.