The 2025 Berlin Tennis Open has delivered an intense week of grass-court action, highlighted by gripping matches, unexpected upsets, and stirring debates over officiating decisions. As the tournament heats up at the Rot-Weiss Tennis Club, tennis fans worldwide are captivated by top players battling for momentum and glory in this crucial Wimbledon warm-up event.
One of the most talked-about matches was the marathon second-round encounter between defending champion Jessica Pegula and Liudmila Samsonova. Pegula, the third seed and a player who has enjoyed an impressive 31 wins out of 42 matches this year, faced a fierce challenge from Samsonova, who has won 18 of her 32 matches in 2025. The two have a history, with Pegula leading their head-to-head 4-1, including a recent victory at the Dubai Tennis Championships. However, Samsonova defied the odds in Berlin, edging out Pegula in a thrilling three-hour-and-21-minute contest with a scoreline of 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).
This victory not only marked a significant upset but also showcased Samsonova’s prowess on grass courts, where she boasts a 64 percent win rate—the best surface for her game. Pegula, with a 60 percent win rate on grass, was pushed to her limits in a match filled with tension and skillful play. The contest was a testament to the high stakes and competitive spirit that the Berlin Open has come to represent since switching from clay to grass courts in 2021.
Meanwhile, world number one Aryna Sabalenka’s grass-court campaign began with drama. After receiving a first-round bye, Sabalenka faced qualifier Rebeka Masarova in her second-round match. Sabalenka took the first set decisively, 6-2, but as the match progressed on June 18, 2025, deteriorating court conditions due to dew and bad light led Masarova to request a suspension of play, which the match supervisor granted. This decision halted the match until the following day.
Sabalenka was visibly frustrated by the suspension, telling the umpire, "You are stopping the match because she says that side is slippery? I just played two games on that side." The incident sparked a wider conversation about officiating standards and player rights. Former world No. 9 CoCo Vandeweghe weighed in during a Tennis Channel broadcast, criticizing the supervisor’s decision as a "joke call." Vandeweghe argued that the higher-ranked and seeded player’s wishes—Sabalenka’s in this case—should have taken precedence over the lower-ranked opponent’s complaint.
"Masarova wanted to call the match for wetness, but Sabalenka didn’t. She’s like, ‘No, I just played two games on that side and it’s not slippery at all.’ Usually, you go with the World No. 1 player and the seeded player, not the lower-ranked player. But Masarova got her way on that one. I thought it was a joke call," Vandeweghe said. She further emphasized the need for a "strong supervisor" capable of facilitating agreement between players rather than making unilateral decisions. "That, to me, was a weak supervisor that was just going for a call that was what he needed," she added.
Vandeweghe also highlighted the importance of consistency in tennis officiating, noting the challenges in establishing uniform standards across tournaments. "So much about tennis, the variables out there, it’s like come on guys we just need conformity across the board. How hard is it in tennis to get conformity? Apparently, it’s really hard," she commented.
Sabalenka resumed her match on June 19, 2025, overcoming Masarova in straight sets to seal a 6-2, 7-6 (7) victory and advance to the quarter-finals. Her grass-court season follows a strong clay-court swing, where she clinched the Madrid Open title by defeating Coco Gauff in the final. Sabalenka also finished runner-up at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and the French Open, losing to Jeļena Ostapenko and Gauff respectively, and reached the Italian Open quarterfinals before being edged out by Zheng Qinwen.
Other notable results from the Berlin Open include former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova securing a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 win over Diana Shnaider to reach the quarter-finals. Additionally, eighth seed Paula Badosa advanced with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 victory over Emma Navarro. Two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur continued her impressive form by defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 6-3, marking her first win over a top-five opponent since her 2023 Wimbledon final run.
Beyond Berlin, the grass-court season has seen intriguing developments across Europe. In Nottingham, two-time defending champion Katie Boulter extended her remarkable streak to 12 consecutive wins at the venue by overcoming Sonay Kartal 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, advancing to the quarter-finals. Magda Linette also progressed in Nottingham, defeating Mingge Xu 7-5, 6-1, while McCartney Kessler cruised past Lin Zhu 6-1, 6-4.
Meanwhile, at the Halle ATP tournament, the competition has been fierce. Fourth seed Andrey Rublev was ousted after Tomas Martin Etcheverry saved two match points to win 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6). Tomas Machac advanced with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Fabian Marozsan, and Flavio Cobolli edged out Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-6 (5). Karen Khachanov, the eighth seed, also moved into the quarter-finals by overcoming Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
At Queen’s Club, home favorite Jacob Fearnley extended his remarkable unbeaten record against French opponents to 19 matches with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over Corentin Moutet. Jiri Lehecka cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 victory against recent ’s-Hertogenbosch champion Gabriel Diallo, adding to the excitement of the grass-court season.
In a poignant moment for tennis fans, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova announced her retirement from professional tennis, with the US Open at the end of August set to be her final tournament. Reflecting on her decision, Kvitova said, "While no such decision is ever easy to make, for me this is a happy moment! I will leave the sport with the biggest smile on my face - the same smile you've seen from me on and off court throughout my whole career."
As the Berlin Tennis Open progresses, the blend of thrilling matches, player rivalries, and off-court controversies continues to captivate audiences. With Wimbledon looming at the end of the month, these grass-court battles serve as a critical proving ground for players aiming to peak at the sport’s most prestigious Grand Slam.
Fans can expect more high-stakes drama as the tournament moves into the later rounds, with top contenders like Aryna Sabalenka, Liudmila Samsonova, Marketa Vondrousova, and Ons Jabeur all vying to claim the Berlin crown and build momentum for the grass-court season ahead.
