"I was actually shocked that they were even considering cancelling my match" - Sabalenka left puzzled and angry after Alcaraz-Fonseca matchup prioritised over her second round clash

Aryna Sabalenka's title defence at the Miami Open has begun with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory, but this is clouded in the midst of controversy with the world number one forced to play on a smaller court to allow space for Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca to take up the main stage. It was a decision that left the Belarusian bemused and angry with the scheduling decisions.

It would prove not to be the simplest of matches. American Ann Li was a tricky customer to fend off at the second round stage. Sabalenka's break advantage was extinguished by her opponent before squandering seven break-point opportunities in one game alone. The set went to a tiebreak in which Sabalenka just nicked it. She got the upper hand at the start of the second set and proved too good for Li as she saw out proceedings to secure her way through to the third round. Caty McNally will be her next task in Florida.

In her press conference after the win, the four-time Grand Slam champion opened up on the behind-the-scenes talk before the match, utterly bewildered about the whole situation. "I was actually shocked that they were even considering cancelling my match," she said. "They gave me a couple of options regarding the stadiums, and I was thinking, 'What’s the problem with Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca starting a bit later?' Yesterday, the night session started at 9 p.m., so I didn’t see why that couldn’t happen again. I was really surprised that cancelling my match was even an option."

With the Alcaraz-Fonseca match not budging from its prime-time slot, she was given a couple of options on the spot to pick from: play today on a smaller court or wait and have it rescheduled for the next day. "I decided to play today because if I win, I get a day off," she explained. "That gives me time to prepare, recover, and recharge. But yes, I was honestly shocked by the whole situation. Still, I’m happy they gave me options so I could choose what was best for me."

It was certainly a unique treatment for the world number one, whose status could not prevent her from this new scenario. "I’ve never experienced something like that before. I don’t remember anything similar happening. For me, it didn’t seem like a big problem to play and then just start the night session a bit later. But I guess it had to do with ticketing and what worked best for the tournament."

She sympathised somewhat with the fact that having both world number ones on at the same time could be tough to sort out. "It’s tricky, because Carlos Alcaraz was also playing—so it’s like having two No. 1 players, and the tournament has to decide what to do. I’m just happy they gave me options."

She did pick out the positives in playing on a smaller court, labelling it as 'amazing' and giving the crowd their props. "That was amazing. What I loved most was that it felt like a surprise for the crowd. People with ground passes probably didn’t expect me to be there, so it created a really special atmosphere. They brought posters, they were enjoying it—it was beautiful. That’s the thing I’m happiest about: that the fans enjoyed it and had fun."