Aryna Sabalenka’s Stuttgart campaign got off to a clumsy start. The world No.1 had a first-round bye, and then got a free pass when Anastasia Potapova withdrew. Toss in Good Friday (which, by local law, meant no tennis), and Sabalenka had to wait till Saturday to play her first match. And it wasn’t just any match—it was against her old pal and former doubles partner, Elise Mertens. Though their shared history might have suggested a friendly contest, the match quickly veered into controversy. And now, another WTA player is voicing her opinion on what happened.
Early in the first set, Mertens broke to lead 4-3. Moments later, a contentious line call saw one of Sabalenka’s shots called out. Umpire Miriam Bley inspected the mark and confirmed the decision, but Sabalenka clearly disagreed. In a scene that drew immediate crowd reaction, she walked over to her box, took a phone, and snapped a photo of the disputed mark herself.
Bley issued Sabalenka a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the world No. 1 remained composed. She broke back in the next game and dominated the remainder of the match, closing it out 6-4, 6-1 in just over an hour.
Reflecting on the incident, Sabalenka noted the tension in her post-match handshake and said, “There was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before.”
The moment sparked immediate debate. Australian doubles player Ellen Perez shared her thoughts online. She took to X and wrote, “As an umpire how can you actually go down off your chair and call this out. I’ve never seen a more clearly in mark in my life. It’s not even close like I don’t get it.”
As an umpire how can you actually go down off your chair and call this out. I’ve never seen a more clearly in mark in my life. It’s not even close like I don’t get it. https://t.co/O2jyo78RVX
— Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) April 20, 2025
Controversial calls on clay are nothing new. Just last year, Alexander Zverev’s loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final hinged on a similar call. Alcaraz’s second serve was called out at a crucial moment in the fifth set. The umpire overruled, gave him the point, and Zverev never recovered.
However, the ATP has now made moves to lower human error. The ATP adopted full electronic calls this year, but the WTA is still catching up.
Charleston recently became the first clay event on the WTA tour to use Hawk-Eye Live. Madrid and Rome are expected to follow suit, but other tournaments still very much rely on chair umpires to make the final decision. Like the Stuttgart Open.
The Belarusian tennis player is now one step closer to her 4th final at Stuttgart.
Aryna Sabalenka to clash with Jasmine Paolini in the Stuttgart Open semi-final
Stuttgart has never been her happy ending. Aryna Sabalenka has reached the final three times and lost each one—once to Ash Barty in 2021, twice to Swiatek in 2022 and 2023.
This year, she’s hoping things will be different. “I’ve been in the final three times and have always lost against the world No. 1,” she said. “I’m the number one myself this year. I hope it’s my turn this time around.”
The World No.1 was the lone survivor in a wild day of upsets. The entire WTA Top 4 played on Quarterfinals Day—and all except Sabalenka crashed out.
Jessica Pegula, the world No. 3, was the first to go. She lost 6-0, 6-4 to Ekaterina Alexandrova. Then came Jelena Ostapenko, who beat Iga Swiatek once again, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. That makes it a stunning 6-0 head-to-head record for Ostapenko over the world No. 2. And finally, Coco Gauff fell to Jasmine Paolini in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
So now, Sabalenka will meet Paolini for a spot in the final. She leads the head-to-head 4-2, and has won their last three matches in straight sets. Most recently, she defeated Paolini 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals of Miami just a few weeks ago.
Sabalenka’s Stuttgart story isn’t over yet. And this time, she’s the world No. 1. Will that finally make the difference?
The post Aryna Sabalenka Vehemently Backed by WTA Pro Following Chair Umpire’s Horrendous Mistake at Stuttgart appeared first on EssentiallySports.
