Aryna Sabalenka’s start to the Stuttgart Open this year was anything but smooth. Despite being the world No. 1 and getting a first-round bye, her tournament debut was delayed. Anastasia Potapova withdrew, granting Sabalenka a walkover, and with no matches played on Good Friday due to local laws, she had to wait until Saturday to step on court for the first time.
Her opening match came against former doubles partner Elise Mertens—a matchup that promised familiarity but quickly turned controversial. During the first set, Mertens secured a 4-3 lead, and not long after, one of Sabalenka’s shots was called out. The chair umpire, Miriam Bley, checked the mark and upheld the call. Sabalenka, visibly frustrated, walked to her box, retrieved a phone, and took a photo of the mark herself. This action earned her a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
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
Still, Sabalenka remained composed and responded by breaking Mertens immediately, then dominating the rest of the match to win 6-4, 6-1 in just over an hour. Reflecting on the incident, she hinted at post-match tension, saying, “There was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before.”
The line call sparked immediate debate across the tennis world. Australian doubles player Ellen Perez shared her opinion on social media, calling the umpire’s judgment “unbelievable,” stating the ball was clearly in and questioning how the call could have gone the other way.
Disputed calls on clay aren’t uncommon, largely because most WTA clay events still rely on chair umpires rather than technology. The ATP has already introduced full electronic line-calling this year, while the WTA is only beginning to adopt it—Charleston recently used Hawk-Eye Live, and tournaments in Madrid and Rome are expected to follow.
This latest controversy has added fuel to the push for more technology in officiating. A similar incident happened during the 2023 French Open final between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, where a crucial line call changed the course of the match.
Back in Stuttgart, Sabalenka is now one step away from another final. She will face Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals. Interestingly, she’s made it to the final three times in this tournament but has yet to win—losing to Ash Barty in 2021 and twice to Iga Swiatek in 2022 and 2023. With Swiatek already knocked out and Sabalenka now the world No. 1, she hopes this year will be different. “I’ve been in the final three times and have always lost against the world No. 1. I’m the number one myself this year. I hope it’s my turn this time around,” she said.
On a dramatic quarterfinals day, Sabalenka was the only top-four seed to advance. Jessica Pegula fell to Ekaterina Alexandrova, Iga Swiatek was defeated again by Jelena Ostapenko—who now leads their head-to-head 6-0—and Coco Gauff lost in straight sets to Paolini.
Sabalenka currently leads her head-to-head against Paolini 4-2 and has beaten her in their last three meetings, most recently with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win in the Miami Open semifinals just weeks ago.
With the title still within reach, Sabalenka’s Stuttgart journey continues. Will this finally be the year she breaks her finals curse and claims the crown?