Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu, Ben Shelton, and others hilariously attempted their best Quokka impression at the ongoing Australian Open 2024.
Native to the region, the Quokka are small macropods and belong to the same family as kangaroos and wallabies. The animal went viral in the 2010s, earning the reputation as "the world's happiest animal."
Their smile was the revelation behind a media trend called the "quokka selfie," and numerous celebrities including Roger Federer, Chris Hemsworth, Shawn Mendes, and Margot Robbie took part in the trend.
Tennis Channel put stars at the 2024 Australian Open to the test with their take on the challenge.
Daniil Medvedev, Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu, Holger Rune, Ben Shelton, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Caroline Wozniacki, Andrey Rublev, Elena Rybakina, and Angelique Kerber all hilariously took turns to mimic just the look, and not the sound of the "world's happiest animal."
"Quokking with laughter," read the caption by Tennis Channel.
The video provided plenty of laughs and fans loved the sights of some. Rublev and Raducanu in particular received plaudits from fans for their impressive takes on the challenge.
The video was part of a bigger campaign promoting Australian tourism, specifically pointing towards the attractions Rottnest Island has to offer.
The video gave us a heartwarming glimpse of the lighter side of players and gave us a peek into their life outside the court.
Coco Gauff's predicted path to Australian Open final
Defending US Open champion Coco Gauff romped into the fourth round at the 2024 Australian Open with a statement 6-0, 6-2 victory over compatriot Alycia Parks earlier today. Up next in her path stands 69th-ranked Magdalena French of Poland in Round 4. French rallied from a set down to overcome Russian Anastasia Zakharova in the third round.
Provided all goes well, Gauff could play either Marta Kostyuk, Beatriz Haddad Maia, or Maria Timofeeva in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, the American will very likely face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, but there is no discounting a surprise from Amanda Anisimova or Russian teen Mirra Andreeva who occupy spaces in the bottom half of the draw.
Again, should all go to plan for Coco, she could set up a finals clash with World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. With most seeds out on her side of the draw, the general expectation is to see Swiatek in the final.