It wasn’t world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s powerful play in the third set of a tight match that unsettled Emma Raducanu. It was a wail from the stands, courtesy of a tiny, off-court opponent.
At the Cincinnati Open on Aug. 11, just as Raducanu, 22, was readying her serve, a sudden cry in the crowd briefly broke the former Grand Slam Champion’s focus.
In a moment caught on ESPN’s TikTok, Raducanu can be heard telling the empire that the distracting noise had been going on “for, like, 10 minutes.” The official replied, “It’s a child. Do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?
The umpire’s offer drew several shouts of “yes” from nearby spectators, prompting Raducanu to motion toward them as if letting their voices speak for her.
“I can call in,” the umpire said, “but we need to continue for the moment.”
The clip ends there, leaving the moment hanging in mid-air.
While many viewers felt Raducanu was justified in wanting the child removed, others believed she should have been able to play through the distraction.
- “real athletes are those that perform under pressure,” one person wrote.
- “Who brings babies to events like this? It was hot, humid, and absolutely unbearable for a child.”
- “Why are people confused? Golf and tennis are individual sports. Singular strokes can impact the entire match. If you bring a child and they’re crying, take them out of the arena.”
- “If your sport requires absolute silence to play, then don’t sell tickets. Baseball pitchers, basketball tip-offs, any sport where you want to make money off of spectators should understand there will be crowd noise. Golfers and tennis players need to understand that.”
- “You are getting paid insane amounts of money to play a game. Play.”
Despite the interruption, Raducanu battled 27-year-old Belarusian Sabalenka point for point, taking the match to a third-set tiebreak. In the end, she fell just short, but the crowd gave her a standing ovation, applauding her grit and composure.
In an interview with the Tennis Channel, Sabalenka said, “She played incredible,” praising her opponent’s performance.
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