Wimbledon is definitely keeping pace with the players. The first week is almost over, but it’s been packed with drama. What began with excitement quickly turned into shock as 23 seeded players on both the men’s and women’s sides were knocked out in the first round! Meanwhile, the tournament’s strict curfew sparked controversy when Ben Shelton lost his cool after his match was suspended in the final game of the third set. But it’s a learning curve, and Emma Raducanu and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka are the biggest beneficiaries so far!

On Friday, the WTA’s final match of the day kicked off, but before that, tennis journalist José Morgado highlighted the court conditions. Since the players weren’t under natural light, he tweeted, “Sabalenka vs. Raducanu will be played entirely under the roof.” Watching the match, you can see they’re indeed playing under fluorescent lights instead of sunlight!

What exactly happened with Ben to cause such a stir? Playing on Court 1, Shelton was on the verge of victory Thursday evening. He had cruised through two sets and led 5–4 in the third against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata when the suspension was called. Shelton confronted the umpire, sparking an argument. But all’s well now—he wrapped up his match today in just 70 minutes!

Even the tournament director backed Ben’s frustration earlier today. Jamie Baker said, “We had already extended play as far as we were comfortable with. We have been playing really late this week because the weather has been great, the skies have been clear, and last night we pushed it as far as we possibly could.” It seems they’re taking the right steps now to avoid similar issues for Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu as they battle it out on Centre Court!

The stage is set for an exciting match! Will Sabalenka advance to the next round, or will Raducanu pull off a shock upset? Only time will tell!

Update: Sabalenka prevails! She took down the British No.1 to reach the round of 16. Her opponent once said she preferred to play with the roof closed, noting, “I think the sound is just amplified, It’s like a concert hall.”

While Emma’s ball striking kept fans on the edge of their seats, she couldn’t outplay the World No.1. Still, Sabalenka couldn’t help but give her opponent a well-deserved pat on the back!

Aryna Sabalenka praises Emma’s form

After the match, Sabalenka shared her thoughts on the fierce battle she faced. “Honestly guys, she played such incredible tennis and pushed me so hard for this win. I fought every point like crazy. Super happy with the win, happy to see her back,” she said. Raducanu had a point for 5-1 and then two for 5-2, but suddenly it was 4-4—what a turnaround!

Raducanu’s groundstrokes were sharp early on, giving her a 4-2 lead. But Sabalenka wasn’t having it. She stormed back with three straight games to take a 5-4 lead. Then came a thrilling 13-minute game where Sabalenka had seven set points. Raducanu answered with some of her best serves to keep the set alive. What a fight!

Sabalenka summed it up perfectly: “Emma was playing very good tennis, making me move a lot, from the baseline she was playing great, and I was just trying to stay focused, trying to put all that pressure on her.” Raducanu’s effort was impressive, but Sabalenka reminded us why she’s the world No. 1.

Now, Sabalenka heads into the round of 16 to face No. 24 seed Elise Mertens. Fun fact: these two were a doubles dream team not long ago, winning the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open together. Both have held the WTA Doubles No. 1 ranking. Will Sabalenka take down her old doubles partner to reach the quarterfinals? Let us know your thoughts below, and stay tuned to our Live Blog for every thrilling moment!