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Carlos Alcaraz is feeling low following Rafael Nadal's departure from the sport. The latter's career came to an end at the ongoing Davis Cup Finals. Ben Shelton also competed at the same tournament and is feeling heartbroken after the US were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs was among those who were left shocked by captain Bob Bryan's decision to substitute doubles pros in favor of singles players at the Davis Cup Finals.
Boris Becker was left impressed after Rafael Nadal's incredible winning streak at the Davis Cup. Danielle Collins has been quite candid about her health issues and cited her friends as a major source of support in an interview. Jessica Pegula showed her support on social media by sharing her compatriot's words.
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On that note, here's a quick rundown of the day's buzziest moments:
Ben Shelton crushed after Davis Cup exit
The United States went down to Australia in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup Finals 2024 on Thursday (November 21). Ben Shelton put up a fight in his singles tie against Thanasi Kokkinakis and almost staged a valiant comeback. Both players held multiple match points in the third set tie-break, and it was the Australian who came out on top to register a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (14) win.
Taylor Fritz kept them alive with a win over Alex de Minaur. Shelton later took to the court for the doubles tie with Tommy Paul, and lost that match as well. The two were called in to replace doubles specialists Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
Shelton was naturally feeling quite sad after his two losses and felt like he didn't live up to the expectations placed on him by captain Bob Bryan. Despite giving it his all, he couldn't get over the finish line, which made him feel quite awful.
"That also makes me more gutted that, you know, Bob trusted me. I went out there twice today, obviously I fought my ass off, and I didn't leave anything out there on the court, but to not get a win in one of those two matches hurts pretty bad," - Ben Shelton on his Davis Cup performances.
The United States are the most successful team in the history of Davis Cup with 32 titles, and 29 runner-up finishes. However, they haven't reached a final since winning the title in 2007, and the long wait for another triumph continues after their latest exit.
Carlos Alcaraz finding it tough to cope with Rafael Nadal's retirement
Rafael Nadal brought an end to his glittering career at the Davis Cup Finals 2024. While he lost his singles match against Botic van de Zandschulp, Carlos Alcaraz gave them a glimmer of hope with a win over Tallon Griekspoor.
However, Alcaraz couldn't repeat the feat in doubles, and along with Marcel Granollers, lost the match against van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof. Nadal's retirement has left a huge void in the world of tennis, especially in Spain.
Alcaraz grew up watching him, and even got the opportunity to compete beside him and against him over the last few years. This period of transition is rather tough for him, and he made his feelings known by sharing a popular meme on social media.
"My life after Rafael Nadal has retired," Alcaraz shared on his Instagram story (Translated from Spanish).
Alcaraz shared the "sad Pablo Escobar" meme from the show "Narcos", which depicted the titular character looking sad and dejected. He's not the only one feeling this way, and many would attest to having the same thoughts after Nadal's retirement.
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs left stumped after Bob Bryan's decision at the Davis Cup
Bob Bryan's gamble of playing Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton in the decisive doubles tie against Australia backfired. They lost to Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson 6-4, 6-4, which led to their elimination.
Bryan's decision to field them instead of doubles pros Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek raised plenty of eyebrows. Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs was also left puzzled by his decision. She opined that doubles pros who play together and are proven champions will pip singles players who don't have the same chemistry or accolades.
"Doubles specialists that are major champions, more than not, will beat great singles players that haven't played together before," Stubbs wrote on X.
This was a repeat of the 2022 fiasco, when Ram was sidelined by then captain Mardy Fish, and the Americans crashed out in the quarterfinals after losing the decisive doubles rubber against Italy.
Boris Becker tips his hat to Rafael Nadal's incredible streak at the Davis Cup
Rafael Nadal's career came to an end with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp at the Davis Cup Finals 2024. It also snapped his 29-match winning streak at the tournament. Since losing his debut match back in 2004, he hadn't lost a singles tie until now.
Boris Becker, who had a 22-match winning streak at the Davis Cup, thought his record was good until he found out about Nadal's dominance. He took to social media to acknowledge the same and praise the Spaniard.
"That's one hell of a record in DC (Davis Cup) and I thought mine was good," Boris Becker wrote on his Instagram stories.
Nadal not only has a better winning streak compared to Becker but also has won more titles. The former lifted the winner's trophy at the Davis Cup on five occasions, while the latter did the same twice.
Jessica Pegula reacts as Danielle Collins credits her friends on the tour for their support during her health struggles
Danielle Collins was all set to retire at the end of this season to start her family. Her decision to call it quits was due to her struggles with endometriosis. However, following a setback due to her fertility issues, she decided to carry on playing for the foreseeable future.
Collins opened up about her issues in an interview with The Athletic. Among other things, she spoke about how her close relationships with her fellow players have given her comfort during these trying times. She is quite close to her compatriots Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys, among others.
"One of my biggest support systems is the people that are in tennis, the people that I compete against, the people that I’ve become friends with. Without that support system it would be incredibly difficult to deal with all this," Danielle Collins said.
Pegula was quick to show her support and shared a part of the interview on social media, and applauded her for the same.
"👏," Pegula posted on her Instagram story.
After an injury hiatus, Collins recently returned to action at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She lost her singles tie against Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets, and the US lost the tie 2-1 against Slovakia to crash out of the tournament.
