Tennis News Roundup: Jannik Sinner & girlfriend Laila turn heads in rare public outing; Ben Shelton hits the tennis court with partner Trinity Rodman

Jannik Sinner and girlfriend Laila Hasanovic recently made a rare public outing together. Ben Shelton hit the tennis court with his soccer star girlfriend Trinity Rodman. Naomi Osaka claimed that a fan approached her for marriage; a proposal she rejected.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic was spotted hitting with son Stefan, with the Serb using a frying pan instead of a racket. Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni opined that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are dominating men's singles tennis because of their rivals' inability to raise their levels. These are the top stories from the world of tennis today.

1. Jannik Sinner & Laila Hasanovic attend F1 season finale

Jannik Sinner attending the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi (Source: Getty)

Jannik Sinner confirmed his ongoing romantic relationship with Danish model and influencer Laila Hasanovic earlier this year at the Vienna Open. However, the lovebirds have very rarely made a public appearance. This changed recently at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which marked the final race of the F1 season.

The Italian, a four-time Major champion and a former World No. 1, was spotted walking alongside Hasanovic in the vicinity of Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, an artificial island in Abu Dhabi. Here, Sinner also got the chance to interact with some high-profile names from other sports, including now-retired soccer legends Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho.

2. Ben Shelton hits with girlfriend Trinity Rodman at exhibition event in Atlanta

Ben Shelton (left) and Trinity Rodman (right) (Source: Getty)

Ben Shelton was in Atlanta recently for The Atlanta Cup exhibition event featuring him, Nick Kyrgios, Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka. In the buildup to the event at the Gas South Arena, Shelton was joined on the court by girlfriend Trinity Rodman, where the lovebirds also practiced tennis briefly.

Shelton eventually played against Nick Kyrgios at the exhibition event and won the match in straight sets. For Rodman, the USWNT soccer sensation, these are uncertain times, with the NWSL having controversially rejected Washington Spirit's new and lucrative contract offer for the forward.

3. Naomi Osaka discloses marriage proposal from fan and subsequent rejection

Naomi Osaka took to her Instagram Stories to answer certain questions fielded to her by her fans. One of the fans proposed marriage to the former WTA No. 1 and four-time Major champion. However, Osaka revealed that the proposal left her "confused", with the Japanese tennis icon going on to reject it, writing:

"I'm confused by questions like this because you don't know me😭😭😭 Insane commitment from your end lol"

In the same QnA session, a follower who recently became a mother for the first time asked for Osaka's advice on transitioning to motherhood. The Japanese herself gave birth to daughter Shai in July 2023.

"I would suggest you make time to do things that make you happy and also enjoy your new role because I promise you the time is going to go so quick and before you know it your baby is going to be talking back to you with sass," she wrote.

4. Novak Djokovic wields frying pan in playful hitting session with son Stefan

Novak Djokovic and his 11-year-old son Stefan practiced together on a court in Athens, Greece, with the Serb's family having relocated to the city earlier this year. A video of the playful practice session did the rounds on social media, where the former No. 1 and 24-time Slam winner was seen returning Stefan's shots with a frying pan.

On the competitive tennis front, the Serb's most recent outing at the first-ever edition of the ATP 250 Hellenic Championship in the Greek capital was a memorable one. He won the event after defeating Lorenzo Musetti in the final to register his 101st career singles title triumph.

5. Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni criticizes Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner's rivals

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni claimed that compared to the 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, his nephew and Novak Djokovic, reigning No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has an edge. According to Toni, the 'Big Three' had to contend with several other elite-level rivals but Alcaraz only has Jannik Sinner as a direct rival playing at the same level. The veteran coach said, as reported by Punto de Break.

"He has an advantage that players from a few years ago didn’t have: their rivals are a little weaker, less committed than those of a few years ago. He has a great rival that is Jannik Sinner, it is true, one who is always present, but the others have fallen by the way. I remember perfectly that in Rafael's time, in addition to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, there were other great players such as Andy Murray, Juan Martín del Potro, David Ferrer or Stan Wawrinka, to name a few."

Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated the Majors since the beginning of the 2024 season. Both have also impressed at numerous Masters 1000 and ATP 500 events.

Edited by Sudipto Pati