Aryna Sabalenka demonstrated her boisterous competitive drive at the Stuttgart Open. She’ll now play Elise Mertens in quarterfinal action, beating her 6-4, 6-1. Sabalenka had been somewhat lucky to reach this match as her tournament debut. She had taken a first-round bye and advanced by walkover in round two. While her win marks a historic milestone, we hope it is just the beginning of her continued success as she moves deeper into the tournament.
In the match against Mertens, Sabalenka was caught in a slight controversy. She took a picture of a ball mark with her cell phone to contest an umpire’s call on a ball in by Miriam Bley. However, contrary to the evidence she was presented with, Bley confirmed the original decision following a view of the mark. Sabalenka explained that she felt there was some frustration on the part of the umpire at what she was doing.
Sabalenka made it clear she has no intention of shying away from competition even if it ends up hurting her. As she put it, “When I go out on the court every time with her, it’s a different war, and I’m ready for that! Even when I’m not at my best I’m going to go out there and battle and lay everything out there.” This mentality is a testament to her dedication, having played with maximum effort in every game.
After defeating Mertens in her opening match, Sabalenka faced off with another rising star, Coco Gauff, in the third round. She proved it with a hard-fought victory, finishing the match 6-4, 6-3. She emphatically beat Jasmine Paolini in the semifinal on Sunday. This triumphant win helped to prove once again that she was, quite likely, the person to beat at the event.
In the tournament’s larger historical context, Sabalenka accomplished an incredible first. She has become the only player in pro tennis to win six matches against world No. 1 Iga Świątek without a loss. Meanwhile, Jelena Ostapenko, who recently defeated Świątek, continued to make headlines but did not face Sabalenka in this tournament.
Sabalenka opened up about her relationships with other players on tour. On what she felt during the handshake with Ostapenko “That was different, a different look and a different handshake, a really hard handshake. I’ve never had that.
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