WTA No.1 Aryna Sabalenka expressed her feelings on halting her vacation with her boyfriend after a Round of 16 win against Rebeka Masarova during the Grass Court Championships in Berlin. Sabalenka clinched the match in straight sets to start her grass-court season.
The Belarusian was dominant in the first set, taking it 6-2. The second set went to a tie-break, but Sabalenka kept her composure to win it 8-6 and clinch the match. Notably, this was Sabalenka’s first victory since the 2025 Roland Garros final defeat against Coco Gauff.
Following this defeat, Sabalenka took a break from the sport to spend time with her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, in Mykonos. Speaking after her victory against Masarova in Berlin, Sabalenka referred to her Mykonos vacation, stating that she wished to spend more time there. However, the 27-year-old added that she likes to play in Berlin and also had a special mention for the fans. Sabalenka said (via The Tennis Letter):
"It's been a very short time, I wish I would still be in Mykonos, having fun and enjoying my vacation, but here I am in Berlin, competing, I love being here, love grass. I'm super happy to be here, thank you for the warm welcome guys."
Following her victory against Rebeka Masarova, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 20. Her possible opponents for this fixture could be Elena Rybakina or Katerina Siniakova.
"It's very unprofessional"- Aryna Sabalenka on her comments after French Open final defeat

Aryna Sabalenka recently reacted to the comments made by her after the French Open final defeat to Coco Gauff. Sabalenka had remarked that it was her error-laden display that cost her the match and not Gauff's brilliance on the court.
These comments didn't sit well with the tennis fans, and the Belarusian had her say regarding her statement before the Grass Court Championships. Sabalenka said she got too emotional after the defeat and that these comments were very unprofessional on her part. She said (via Eurosport Germany):
"That was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. We all make mistakes. I'm just a human being who's still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control."
Notably, Coco Gauff has also spoken out after the criticism Aryna Sabalenka received and shared that the latter had apologized to her and also urged the tennis world to move on from this episode.