Aryna Sabalenka asked the 2024 Miami Open organizers to postpone her first match at the tournament, and she was granted the request.
The Belarusian player is going through a difficult period after her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, passed away. It was initially expected that she would withdraw from the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami, but she made a brave decision to play at the tournament.
Sabalenka had already practiced ahead of the event, and after her good friend Paula Badosa managed to outplay Simona Halep in the first round, the world no. 2 also learned her first opponent at the tournament.
She broke her silence on the boyfriend's passing in the meantime, revealing that they were no longer together, but the tragedy still obviously impacted her immensely.
Also because of that, she requested the tournament organizers to postpone her second-round match against Badosa, and they have agreed to do that.
Initially, the match was supposed to be played on Thursday, but after the requested, it was moved to Friday's schedule.
Badosa, who spoke to the press after her first-round win, didn't want to talk about Sabalenka a lot, as she promised her friend that she would avoid talking about the situation.
Before shutting down further questions, the Spanish player spoke about their following match, saying that the two know each other well and also that she expects Sabalenka to find the power to fight in the match.
"I don't really know what to say. I mean, she's one of my best friends. Of course, I know what she's going through. Honestly, for me hasn't been easy, too. I really don't know what to say, honestly."
"She's a strong woman. I think she will get the power from somewhere. I hope it's going to be a battle, a good match, and let's see."