The lush grass courts of the Berlin Open, a pivotal warm-up for Wimbledon, became the stage for a fiery confrontation on Thursday as world No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka clashed with the umpire during her second-round match against Rebeka Masarova. The Belarusian powerhouse, fresh off a runner-up finish at the French Open, secured a hard-fought 6-2, 7-6(6) victory, but not without a heated exchange that left fans and onlookers buzzing. The incident, sparked by a controversial pause requested by Masarova, underscored the intense pressures of professional tennis and Sabalenka’s unfiltered competitive spirit.
Sabalenka, known for her thunderous groundstrokes and relentless drive, dominated the first set with eight winners and just three unforced errors, breaking Masarova twice to wrap it up in 31 minutes. The second set, however, proved a tougher battle, with the Spaniard, ranked No. 95, finding her rhythm and pushing Sabalenka to a tiebreak. The turning point came when Masarova, trailing and visibly struggling with the slick grass surface, requested a pause to address the court’s condition, claiming it was dangerously wet after earlier rain in Berlin. The umpire’s decision to grant the request, halting play for several minutes, incensed Sabalenka, who was in the midst of a commanding performance.
Visibly agitated, Sabalenka confronted umpire Louise Engzell, her frustration spilling over. “It’s always something with her,” she fumed, gesturing toward Masarova, as captured by courtside microphones. “Why do we stop now? The court was fine until she said something!” The pause disrupted Sabalenka’s momentum, and she later admitted it rattled her focus. “I got really frustrated because I felt like I was in control, and then suddenly we’re stopping for no clear reason,” she said in her post-match press conference. “It’s grass, it’s tricky, but we’ve been playing fine. I didn’t understand why we needed to wait.” Her candid outburst resonated with fans, some of whom took to social media to debate the umpire’s call, with one user noting, “Sabalenka wasn’t happy with the umpire stopping the match because Masarova complained about the grass being wet.”[](https://x.com/TennisworldUSA/status/1935618563483566535)
The delay, lasting roughly eight minutes while grounds staff inspected the court, seemed to embolden Masarova, who saved two match points in the tiebreak to push Sabalenka to the brink. Yet, the two-time Australian Open champion regained her composure, unleashing a forehand winner to seal the match after 1 hour and 23 minutes. “I’m proud of how I fought through it,” Sabalenka reflected, acknowledging the mental challenge. “It wasn’t easy to stay calm after that pause, but I told myself to keep hitting the ball hard and trust my game.” Her resilience shone through, with 29 winners and 85% first-serve points won, though 25 unforced errors hinted at the disruption’s impact.
The incident wasn’t Sabalenka’s first brush with controversy in Berlin. Earlier in the match, she expressed exasperation when Masarova’s late challenge on a line call prompted another brief delay. “What is this? Why are we stopping every point?” she muttered, shaking her head. These moments highlighted the fine line between gamesmanship and genuine concern on grass, a surface notorious for its unpredictability. Masarova, to her credit, defended her request, stating, “I slipped twice, and I just wanted to make sure the court was safe. I wasn’t trying to break her rhythm.” The exchange added fuel to an already charged atmosphere, with Sabalenka’s intensity captivating the crowd.
This victory sets up a blockbuster quarterfinal clash against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who dispatched Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-4. The matchup promises fireworks, as Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 5-3, including a thrilling three-set win at the 2024 Brisbane International. “Elena’s a tough opponent, especially on grass,” Sabalenka said, looking ahead. “I need to be ready for a battle and keep my emotions in check.” Her Berlin campaign follows a turbulent French Open, where she apologized for “unprofessional” comments after a loss to Coco Gauff, whom she accused of gamesmanship. That experience, she noted, has fueled her determination to stay focused.
As Sabalenka prepares for Wimbledon, where she reached the semifinals in 2024, the Berlin Open offers a chance to fine-tune her grass-court game. Her powerful serve and aggressive baseline play make her a formidable contender, but Thursday’s flare-up revealed the mental hurdles she must navigate. With top seed Iga Swiatek absent and Gauff upset by Wang Xinyu in Berlin, Sabalenka’s path to a first grass-court title looks promising—provided she can harness her fiery passion without letting it consume her.
Sabalenka and Masarova’s match in Berlin is stopped due to the court getting slippery.
Rebeka wanted to stop play.
Aryna wanted to continue:
“You’re stopping the match because she said that side is slippery? I just played 2 games on that side”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 18, 2025
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