Tennis News Today: Andy Roddick admits having a "hard time" being in Steffi Graf's presence; Aryna Sabalenka shares adorable picture of hitting partner's daughter with her Australian Open trophy

Andy Roddick recently talked about his star-struck moment with tennis legend Steffi Graf at Pickleball Slam 2.

Aryna Sabalenka shared an adorable picture of her hitting partner's daughter posing with the Australian Open trophy. Meanwhile, Serena Williams' former tennis coach predicted more Grand Slam triumphs for Novak Djokovic.

Also, Coco Gauff reacted to the release of new colorways of her signature sneakers, CG1 'Unity of Sport,' in collaboration with New Balance.

On that note, here's a quick recap of the day’s major headlines:

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#1 - Andy Roddick confesses having "hard time" being in tennis legend Steffi Graf's presence

Andy Roddick has expressed his admiration for Steffi Graf, stating that being in her presence leaves him starstruck.

Graf recently teamed up with her husband Andre Agassi to play against tennis legends Maria Sharapova and John McEnroe in the Pickleball Slam 2. The German's team won 4-0 and secured the $1 million prize purse.

Roddick, who took up a commentary role at this year's tournament, talked about his experience and his delight at seeing Agassi and Graf back in action.

"I don't think it [pickleball] is going anywhere. It was fun. Frankly, those events are amazing for me because you have people in a room, whether it's Andre and Steff, who are in kind of like full go mode again. They're just doing stuff, which is amazing," he said on the latest episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast (at 7:05).

The 41-year-old added that although Agassi had been his idol for a long time, it was being around Graf that genuinely left him in awe.

"Like I've known Andre and he's been my idol for a long time but I have a hard time being in Steffi's presence without being like incredibly starstruck. Which, in the tennis world, at this moment in my life, not to sound jaded, I don't get that way around many people in our orbit anymore, having lived this life for a little while," he said.

"And Steff is like a huge exception, I can't be around around her without feeling like everything I say is just idiotic, which it might be, I'm just more conscious of it," he added.

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#2 - Aryna Sabalenka shows off Australian Open trophy with her hitting partner’s daughter

Aryna Sabalenka shared an adorable picture featuring her hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski's daughter playfully holding the Australian Open trophy.

Sabalenka defended her title in Melbourne by defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the final last month. The Belarusian took to Instagram on Tuesday, February 6, to share a photo of Vasilevski's daughter standing next to the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, amusingly gripping one handle with both hands.

“My love 💓” Sabalenka wrote.

Aryna Sabalenka on Instagram

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#3 - Serena Williams’ former coach backs Novak Djokovic to win more Grand Slams

Serena Williams' former tennis coach Rick Macci expressed optimism about Novak Djokovic's future despite the criticism following his semifinal exit at the 2024 Australian Open.

Djokovic was stunned in four sets by Jannik Sinner, which ended his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne and sparked media speculation about his future. However, Macci believes the Serb will continue to contend for top honors in tennis.

"Novak Djokovic is not going Anywhere Except to many more Grand Slam Championship Ceremonies," Macci wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

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#4 - Coco Gauff reacts to the launch of the latest colorway of her CG1 'Unity of Sport' sneakers in collaboration with New Balance

Coco Gauff recently shared her excitement about the new purple & blue colorway release of her signature shoe with New Balance - the Coco CG1 'Unity of Sport.'

The design elements, including lace jewel, logos and graphics, reflect Gauff's influence. Her name is featured on the tongue, and the brand's logo is visible on the heel and outsole.

Gauff took to Instagram on Wednesday, February 7, to react to the release of the new colorway of her signature sneakers.

"new colorway drop💜🤍🩵"

Coco Gauff on Instagram