Tennis News Today: Aryna Sabalenka gets emotional over shocking hateful comments from mothers; Ben Shelton & girlfriend Trinity Rodman share romantic moment & more

Many top ATP stars crashed out of the Shanghai Masters today, with Jannik Sinner suffering an injury during his Round of 32 match. On the other hand, Alexander Zverev continued his streak of disappointing outings with a loss to Arthur Rinderknech.

Meanwhile, WTA players soldier through the hectic tennis schedule as the Wuhan Open kicked off today. Aryna Sabalenka secured the top spot in the draw after coming back from a break due to a minor injury sustained in the US Open, followed by Iga Swiatek in the second spot.

On that note, here are some of the top stories of the day:

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#1. Aryna Sabalenka speaks up on dealing with online hate

In the past few days, many WTA stars, including Iga Swiatek and Eva Lys, have spoken on how receiving abuse online affects their mental health and performance. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also joined the conversation and added how she felt receiving hate online, especially from mothers, which makes it particularly shocking. During an interview with Tennis365, Sabalenka said:

"Throughout my career, I faced a lot of hate and a lot of different hate for different reasons. So I figured that the more you give attention to that, the more it takes energy from you. Sometimes I’m shocked. Sometimes there’s like, mothers messaging such terrible things."

Sabalenka shares a lot of her life on social media but turns a blind eye when it comes to negativity to maintain peace of mind.

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#2. Ben Shelton spends quality time with girlfriend Trinity Rodman after Shanghai loss

Ben Shelton chose to spend some time with his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, after the American faced a first-round loss in the ongoing Shanghai Masters against David Goffin. He suffered an injury during the US Open, making him withdraw from the tournament, and he continues his recovery.

Recently, Shelton shared pictures on Instagram alongside Rodman.

"Makin my way back" Shelton posted.

Ben Shelton will aim to win another title at the Paris Masters this year after returning to court.

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#3. Jannik Sinner's heartbreaking withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters 3R

Jannik Sinner was forced to retire from his match against Tallon Griekspoor in the Round of 32 at the Shanghai Masters. The Italian struggled to continue playing from the second set of the match due to cramps in his leg. They worsened further, leading him to gradually retire in the third set, as Griekspoor advanced further in 6-7(3), 7-5, 3-2.

Here is the clip of the moment Sinner asked for assistance from the medic, right before withdrawing from the match:

Two months ago, Sinner retired from his match against Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati as well.

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#4. Jannik Sinner's rumored girlfriend issues a strong response to being linked with Holger Rune

Jannik Sinner's rumored girlfriend, Laila Hasanovic, issued a bold response as conversations around her having a relationship with Holger Rune surfaced. Images appeared on the internet, with Hasanovic being seen in Rune's player's box alongside his mother.

Hasanovic commented under one such image online and thrashed all claims by saying,

"So I can't even watch a regular game in my hometown without people starting dating rumors? Come on guys."

However, neither Jannik Sinner nor Hasanovic have made any comments addressing their dating rumors that have been making the rounds on social media for a while.

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#5. Carlos Alcaraz's stylish appearance at friend's wedding amid a tennis break

Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Shanghai Masters last week and has been enjoying his break from the sport with his family back in Spain. He reportedly attended a friend's wedding while enjoying his well-deserved hiatus, and ensured to stun with his stylish look there as well.

The Spaniard appeared in an image from the wedding where he posed with his friends and was seen sporting a navy blue jacket over a beige polo shirt, breaking away from the traditional wedding dress code of formal wear.

His faded platinum blonde hair added to the look, making him stand out in the group picture. Alcaraz might be seen in action next at the Vienna Open starting October 18.

Edited by Tushhita Barua