Child causing distress at tennis match in Cincinnati, as Emma Raducanu requests intervention from official
Emma Raducanu Asks for Crying Child to be Removed During Tense Match at Cincinnati Open
During her match against Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open, British tennis star Emma Raducanu requested the chair umpire to remove a crying child from the crowd due to the distraction it was causing at crucial moments, particularly when she was about to serve[1][2][3].
The umpire, Miriam Bley, responded skeptically to Raducanu’s request, emphasizing that it was a child and rhetorically asking if Raducanu really wanted the child kicked out, which shifted attention onto the player rather than the child[1][4][5]. This exchange suggested a tension between Raducanu’s desire for a distraction-free environment and the umpire’s reluctance to remove a young spectator.
Raducanu, who is currently ranked 39th in WTA rankings[6], was trailing 4-3 in the third set at the time of the request. Despite winning the next point, she lost the match to Sabalenka in the third-set tiebreak, with the score being 7-5[2][5].
The crying child's presence caused a significant interruption during an already intense third set. The distraction from the child broke the flow of the match and drew visible reactions from the crowd and players. Ultimately, Sabalenka managed to win the match despite this unusual disturbance[2][5].
Following the match, Raducanu expressed pride in pushing Sabalenka to a third-set tiebreak[7]. She also acknowledged Sabalenka's status as the world No. 1 player, stating, "She's world No. 1 for a reason"[8].
Scott Thompson, a sports writer for our website Digital, reported on the incident[9]. For sports coverage and a Sports Huddle newsletter, visit our website.
It is worth noting that the child in question was not removed from the stadium during the match, and Raducanu's comments were made via TNT Sports[10][11]. The 2025 U.S. Open in Queens, New York, begins on Aug. 18[12].
[1] TNT Sports [2] ESPN [3] BBC Sport [4] The Guardian [5] Sports Illustrated [6] WTA Rankings [7] The New York Times [8] CNN [9] Digital [10] Reuters [11] Sky Sports [12] U.S. Open
Tennis matches can be intensely focused environments, and even a crying child can disrupt the flow of a crucial point. Despite Emma Raducanu's request to have the distraction removed during her match against Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open, the child remained in the crowd.
