The Berlin Open is buzzing with excitement, and Aryna Sabalenka is eager to bounce back after a tough French Open final loss just two weeks ago. The world No. 1, who broke down in tears and sparked controversy with her remarks about Coco Gauff, has since cleared the air, calling her words “completely unprofessional” and winning fans with her honesty. But despite her fresh start, Sabalenka’s run in Berlin is proving far from easy. There’s still plenty of drama ahead.

On Wednesday, the top seed kicked off her Berlin campaign against Rebeka Masarova at the Steffi Graf Stadion. The Belarusian gave it her best shot, even taking the first set. But the timing of the match couldn’t have been worse. As tennis journalist Jose Morgado on X reported, “Play suspended due to darkness in Berlin. Sabalenka was 6-2 up on Masarova.” Yikes!

There’s another reason behind the abrupt halt. During the second set, the umpire had to make a quick decision after hearing Rebeka’s plea to stop because the court was “slippery.” Sabalenka was determined to continue and argued with the umpire, saying, “You’re stopping the match because she said that side is slippery? I just played 2 games on that side.” She looked upset but held a smile in disbelief. The umpire could even be heard saying, “You know we’re not going to finish, what’s the point?”

Could this have anything to do with the competitors before them? Perhaps. Before Sabalenka took the court, defending champion Jessica Pegula had already exited in a thrilling upset. Pegula, who stunned everyone last year by winning as the fourth seed, fell in a marathon round of 16 match to 2021 champ Liudmila Samsonova, 6-7(8), 7-5, 7-6(5). The match lasted three hours and 21 minutes, showing Pegula’s grit but ending her run.

As of now, there’s no official report on when the match will resume. It seems Aryna Sabalenka will have to wait another day before moving on to the next round. The competition sure is tough, though. Her competition stood with nine of the top ten players in the draw. Out of which, Pegula, Madison Keys, Mirra Andreeva, and Jasmine Paoline are already out. Leaving more way for another round for her to meet Gauff up ahead.

At the French Open, she complained that the conditions of the court weren’t in her favor. Something that Gauff echoed as well. But the difference was that the 21-year-old American adjusted in time to take the win. This time, her opening match was disrupted, and could mean trouble. However, a former ATP pro believes she might be the favorite at the grass courts this year!

Andy Roddick picks Aryna Sabalenka over Gauff at Wimbledon

In the latest ‘Served’ episode, the former World No.1 laid out his take on the upcoming Slam. He’s bullish on Coco Gauff’s clay court game, saying, “There’s a lot that goes right for Coco as soon as she steps on a clay court. She’s amazing, but that doesn’t mean her spaces where she needs to work change immediately.” Clearly, Andy sees plenty of promise for Coco, especially when the surface switches to clay.

But when it comes to Wimbledon, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have followed very different paths. Sabalenka has shown she belongs on grass, reaching the semifinals twice—in 2021 and 2023—using her powerful style to make deep runs. She hasn’t won the title yet, but her consistency speaks volumes.

Gauff, meanwhile, made a splash as a 15-year-old qualifier in 2019 by defeating Venus Williams in the first round and reaching the fourth round. She went on to match that in 2021 and 2024, but never further than the R4. Clearly, Wimbledon remains a tough nut for her to crack, despite her Grand Slam wins elsewhere.

Andy also threw Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys into the conversation. Keys may be out of Berlin, but Rybakina is still going strong, making it to the round of 16 there. Yet, Andy’s pick is clear: “Sabalenka is the clear-cut favorite.” He did acknowledge the mental challenge Sabalenka faces after back-to-back Slam final losses: “Is there going to be a hangover from losing two Slam finals in a row? Does that affect the psyche? Absolutely.” Still, when it comes to Wimbledon, Sabalenka is the one to bet on.

Now, the buzz is all about when Aryna Sabalenka will pick up her match against Rebeka Masarova again. The delay might shuffle the schedule, but it won’t dampen the excitement. With Sabalenka’s firepower and a stacked field, this Wimbledon promises plenty of drama and thrills.