Emma Raducanu called for a crying child to be ejected from the stadium during her Cincinnati Open clash with Aryna Sabalenka, as the crowd got involved in her tense exchange with the umpire.
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Emma Raducanu called for a crying child to be ejected from the stadium during her Cincinnati Open clash with Aryna Sabalenka, as the crowd got involved in her tense exchange with the umpire.
The British tennis star, 22, paused before serving for a vital point in the deciding third set and singled out the crying child in the stands.
She seemed to suggest the cries were hampering her ability to focus, telling the umpire: “It’s been like ten minutes.”
The official replied: “It’s a child. Do you want me to kick the child out of the stadium?”
When Raducanu shrugged, some fans in the crowd could be heard shouting “yes” on her behalf, prompting the British No. 1 to smile in agreement.
“I can call in, but we need to continue for the moment,” the umpire told Raducanu as the match restarted.
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RADUCANU IS COMPLAINING BECAUSE A BABY HAS BEEN CRYING FOR THE PAST “10mins” AND SABALENKA IS LOOSING THE EASIEST POINTS.
ABSOLUTE CINEMA. pic.twitter.com/npjTueGVQ0
— Set 1 Game 4 Break Point – NO (-130) (@enanrb) August 11, 2025
Monday’s narrow clash was the pair’s second meeting of the year after Sabalenka claimed victory in their third-round encounter at Wimbledon.
The incredibly tight match in Cincinnati, lasting over three hours, saw Raducanu take the 27-year-old to a third-set tiebreak.
But in a tense finale, Sabalenka emerged victorious to clinch a 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(5) win.
Raducanu’s path to the third round of the competition saw her enter at the second round stage with a bye, before beating Olga Danilovic in straight sets.
It was first match since Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francis Roig joined her team.
The British number one made a quick start against Sabalenka, earning her first break point in the second game of the opening set, before the world number one responded with a break of her own and soon levelled the score.
Sabalenka looked to have taken control of the match, breaking Raducanu’s serve again on her way to winning four successive games.
But Raducanu managed to level at 4-4 and showed her strength to snatch the ninth game following a lengthy deuce.
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A tight tussle saw Sabalenka able to set up a tiebreak and she withstood some solid resistance from the Briton to clinch the first set in just under an hour.
Another close set followed as both players held their serve in the early stages, but Raducanu managed to shift the momentum by winning a break point in the seventh game to take the lead.
The Briton then served out the set in style with an ace to tie the match.
Little could separate the pair throughout the third set as both players continued to hold their serve and an incredible eighth game saw 13 deuces take place, with Sabalenka unable to convert four break points before Raducanu finally clinched the game.
For the second time in the match the set reached a tiebreaker and, with her second match point, Sabalenka squeezed through to the next round.
The world number one will meet Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the round of 16 after the Spaniard beat Taylor Townsend earlier on Monday.