Aryna Sabalenka thrashed Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the 2025 Stuttgart Open but it was absolute cinema for a different reason as the World No.1 got her phone out during the match to gather evidence.
Sabalenka had a call not go her way and with no Electronic Line Calling, she decided to go about it a different way using her mobile to take a picture of the mark to show to the referee.
Ironically she was 4-3 down to Mertens to start the tie and when this moment happened. But she ended up using it as motivation instead of a way to throw the game away.
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She only lost one more game in the whole match and will be in the semi-finals tomorrow against Jasmine Paolini who has just defeated Coco Gauff. The other half sees Alexandrova face Ostapenko after Iga Swiatek was defeated earlier today.
"I felt the referee was p****d by the picture I took. When I gave her a handshake, that was a very interesting look and a strong handshake. I've never had that before, but yeah," said Sabalenka.
"Why would I play this game with someone like her," responded Sabalenka when asked if she squeezed back during the handshake.
Umpire refused to check a mark so Sabalenka gathered evidence never seen anything like this 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/oNanoXFOrR
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 19, 2025
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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