Emma Raducanu was taking on world number one Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open when the British star paused during a service game to talk to the umpire
Emma Raducanu took a quick break to complain when a child was loudly crying during a tense exchange. Raducanu was taking on the world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a gruelling contest in the third round of the Cincinnati Open.
And no period was more energy sapping than a Raducanu service game that lasted more than 20 minutes in the third set. With the score at 3-4 to her opponent, the British star was forced to battle in an epic game that went to deuce 13 times.
Raducanu faced numerous break points, but there was a moment of controversy when she stopped in her service action to point out that a child in the crowd was crying. “It’s been, like, 10 minutes,” she said to the umpire after moving to the back of the court.
The umpire then loudly responded: “It’s a child. Do you want me to kick the child out of the stadium?” After asking the question, a large number of fans also in attendance can be heard responding: “Yes!”
After the quick exchange, the match continued, although it is unknown if the fans left their seats.
Sabalenka eventually won the marathon match – which lasted more than three hours by virtue of succeeding in her 15th and 16th successive tie breaks. The Belarussian ultimately won 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, to progress to the fourth round.
Raducanu, meanwhile, will continue her preparations for the final Grand Slam of the year at the US Open, the tournament she miraculously won as a teenager back in 2021. And after a difficult few years with injuries, the 22-year-old has shown signs she could begin to compete at the majors again.
She looked impressive in the early stages at Wimbledon earlier this summer, but fell in the third round, again to Sabalenka.
Her time at Flushing Meadows in New York will look a little different this year, with the plan being that she will link up with Carlos Alcaraz in a reformatted mixed doubles event. In an attempt to draw in fans, tournament organisers are playing the mixed doubles in the week before the main draw gets underway.
It will also be her first Slam under the tutelage of new coach Francis Roig. The Spaniard, who worked alongside Rafael Nadal for 17 years is the latest coach to work with Raducanu after the arrangement with Mark Petchey came to an end.
She did receive a ticking off from the umpire after approaching him following a service game in the first set. “Emma, you cannot actively approach him, and he cannot leave his position. You know that. You cannot have a conversation,” the official explained.
Asked about his impact, she said: “It’s just, ‘the level needs to be better’. In a good way, not in a negative way. It’s just calling it how it is.
“And I’m very like that. I’m very factual and I don’t necessarily like fluffing something up. I think that’s where we get on really well and we understand each other.
“Just in general, everything is like: ‘We need to improve. We need to get every shot better.’ And that’s exciting, because I feel like there’s a lot of potential to go and I don’t think I’m near it.”