World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka Voices "Shock" Over Miami Open Scheduling Conflicts Involving Alcaraz and Fonseca

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka criticizes Miami Open chiefs over the decision to move her match for Carlos Alcaraz. Read about the scheduling controversy.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 23, 2026, 6:02 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Tennis365

Scheduling Friction at Hard Rock Stadium

The 2026 Miami Open has been plagued by persistent rain, leading to a significant backlog of matches and logistical headaches for organizers. The friction reached a peak on Friday night when world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka found her match against world No. 39 Ann Li in jeopardy of being cancelled or moved. Ultimately, to keep the tournament on track, officials shifted Sabalenka to the Butch Buchholz court, a decision the Belarusian star described as a "first experience" in her professional career.

The Clash of the "No. 1s"

The scheduling conflict centered on the use of the main Stadium court. Organizers prioritized the match between world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca for the evening window. Sabalenka questioned why she was the one asked to move or postpone, suggesting that the night session could have simply pushed back its start time. "I was actually really shocked by the idea of even cancelling my match," Sabalenka told reporters, though she acknowledged the difficulty of having two world No. 1s competing for the same spotlight.

Prioritizing the Day Off

Despite her frustration with the venue change, Sabalenka chose to play on Friday rather than move her match to Saturday. Her decision was purely tactical; by finishing her second-round match under the lights on the secondary court, she secured a much-needed day off on Saturday to recharge and prepare for the next round. This professional pragmatism paid off as she navigated a tight first-set tie-break to eventually secure a straight-sets win over the American Ann Li.