World number one Aryna Sabalenka made headlines at the Stuttgart Open when she used a phone to take a photo of a disputed ball mark after the umpire refused to review it again.
The incident happened during her quarter-final match against Elise Mertens, when a call went against Sabalenka and gave Mertens a 4-3 lead with a service break in the first set. Sabalenka, however, appeared confused by the decision, which was upheld by umpire Miriam Bley.
With this, the athlete decided to take matters into her own hands, which only added drama to the tense match.
Sabalenka’s unexpected action
Sabalenka felt that it was an incorrect call, and she was frustrated by the umpire’s refusal to recheck the mark. She took the unusual step of grabbing a phone from her team to document the spot herself.
The move, both defiant and bold, sparked a strong reaction from the Stuttgart crowd. Some fans applauded her assertiveness, while others responded with whistles, and it is evident that the crowd has divided opinions on her actions. However, Sabalenka remained focused on the match despite the controversial incident, and she went on to win the match.
More so, Miriam Bley warned Sabalenka for unsportsmanlike conduct after what she had done. Regardless of this, the world number one regained her composure and control. She then broke back immediately and went on to dominate the rest of the match, securing his victory with a final scoreline of 6-4, 6-1.
After the match, Sabalenka and umpire Miriam Bley shook hands, but the gesture seemed tense. It left Sabalenka with the feeling that not everything was resolved between them.
In an on-court interview, Sabalenka admitted, “When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake, never had it before.”
When asked when she returned the pressured handshake, the athlete answered, “No, it’s okay, why would I play this game with someone like her?”
Sabalenka shared her win in a social media post, with a caption: “Semis 🔜🏆🚙🫶🏼”
View this post on Instagram
It didn’t take long for the comments to start rolling in, specifically about the incident. One user wrote, “[I] Was hoping for the pic you took on court 😂❤️❤️❤️🙌”
“Was excited for the photo of that missed line in there 👀” read another comment.
More fans jumped in asking for the pic, saying things like: “Wish I could see the pic of the mark”, “Aryna show us the piccccc❤️”, “We want [to] see the mark out or in 😂”, and “All we want [is] that pic ❤️”