The world`s top-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka, shared her perspective on the incident where she photographed a mark on the court during her Stuttgart quarterfinal match against Elise Mertens, and the umpire`s subsequent reaction.
In the first set, after losing a game on her serve, the Belarusian player challenged a call made by umpire Miriam Bley. Following Sabalenka`s shot, the ball was called out, awarding Mertens a double break point. However, Sabalenka was convinced the ball had landed on the line.
She requested Bley to re-examine the mark, but the umpire declined, stating that the point was already over. In response, Sabalenka took out her phone and photographed the mark.
“When I shook hands with the umpire, it seemed to me that she was angry about my photo. There was a meaningful look and a very firm handshake. I haven`t encountered that before,” Sabalenka mentioned in an on-court interview.
– Did you respond in kind?
– No, everything is fine. Why would I play these games? Everything is okay,” Sabalenka replied.
Marcus Prine