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Tennis icon Rafael Nadal received heartwarming support from his baby son and wife Maria Francisca Perello as he reached his first ATP final after two years at the Nordea Open in Bastad. In other news, Aryna Sabalenka showed love for her best friend Paula Badosa's candid Monaco vacation picture.
Meanwhile, Simona Halep’s comeback was put on hold as an injury hampers her US Open preparation. Camila Giorgi slammed journalists for publishing misleading reports about her leaving Italy.
Also, Andy Murray and compatriot Liam Broady traded jokes after the former complained about the facilities at the Atlanta Open.
On the other hand, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Rafael Nadal's baby son and wife Maria Francisca Perello cheer him on as he reaches Nordea Open final
Rafael Nadal cherished the presence of his son Rafa Jr. and his wife Maria Francisca Perello as he booked his spot in a final for the first time in two years by defeating Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals at the Nordea Open in Bastad.
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Wildcard Rafael Nadal will take on seventh seed Nuno Borges in the title match on July 21. The Spanish tennis star and his partner Casper Ruud, however, withdrew from their doubles semifinal, granting a walkover victory to Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz.
Aryna Sabalenka lauds best friend Paula Badosa's Monaco vacation snap
Aryna Sabalenka praised her best friend Paula Badosa's candid photo from her recent Monaco vacation.
Badosa, currently enjoying her time in Monaco, shared an Instagram picture of herself with a drink.
Sabalenka expressed her admiration for the picture, commenting:
"My beautiful girl."
Knee injury derails Simona Halep’s comeback plans ahead of US Open
After making her return to tennis after her doping suspension ended earlier this year, Simona Halep has provided a significant update on social media regarding a recurring knee injury that has been causing her ongoing pain.
"I wanted to provide a little health update since I have been away from the court lately," Simona Halep said. "It is not the best news, but I wanted to share all the same. For a few months now, I have been struggling with a knee injury. It's an injury I have never had before and it has been a tough one to manage, with the pain persisting."
The former World No. 1 also spoke about the challenging two-year span following her doping ban, highlighting her physical and emotional struggles.
The Romanian tennis star mentioned that she has chosen to step away temporarily to focus on her recovery, acknowledging that pushing through without proper healing is not effective.
"It has been a very difficult period (almost two years) mentally and emotionally for me and struggling physically on top of that definitely doesn't help," Simona Halep said.
"I have decided to take the time needed to recover properly, rather than training and playing through pain. My instinct has always been to try to come back as soon as possible, but I am not a machine, I am a human being and I need time to recover from everything I have gone through," she added.
Camila Giorgi hits back at journalists over false claims of leaving Italy
Camila Giorgi criticized journalists for spreading misleading reports about her departure from Italy due to a tax dispute during a recent Q&A session. The Italian's unexpected retirement announcement a few months ago sparked speculation by La Gazzetta dello Sport that she was under investigation by tax authorities and left for America to avoid the scrutiny.
In an Instagram Q&A, a fan questioned Giorgi about whether she had fled. The Italian tennis star responded by accusing journalists of fabricating stories to attract attention.
"Unfortunately the worthless journalist make Fake News, and to get few more clicks on their page they would sell their dignity. I have a lawyer following me, and if I had problems I wouldn’t have returned to Italy 2 weeks ago, and I will be back soon. Thank you for your love," a translated version of Giorgi's response.
Additionally, when asked by another fan if she would consider joining OnlyFans, Giorgi firmly declined.
Liam Broady's Atlanta Open facility critique sparks lighthearted banter with tennis legend Andy Murray
Liam Broady engaged in a humorous exchange with fellow Brit Andy Murray after the former voiced his frustration about the arrangements at the Atlanta Open.
Broady took to social media to express his dissatisfaction with the scheduling at the ATP 250 event, stating the match was set to start at 10 am, requiring him to begin his warm-up by 8:30 am, but breakfast wasn’t available until 9 am.
"First match at 10am today so have to warm up at 8:30. Breakfast doesn’t open till 9am? Walked into player area and we’ve got… bagels. Really good for a high standard of tennis and tennis tournament in Atlanta," he wrote on X.
Andy Murray replied to Broady's tweet, sparking a playful back-and-forth between the two.
"Hope you are ok mate. That sounds terrible. Surprised you hadn’t checked the breakfast situation ahead of time like most professionals would have done," Andy Murray wrote.
"You have five people just to wipe your bum for you man you’ve never checked a situation ahead of time in your life we are not the same," Broady responded.
Liam Broady went on to lose the first round of qualifiers to Shang Juncheng 6-3, 1-6, 3-6.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
