Cincinnati Open: Emma Radukanu Voices Discontent Over Crying Child in Audience

Tennis player Emma Radukanu expressed her displeasure during her match at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, specifically regarding the audience. What was the issue? A crying child.

As she trailed 4-3 in the third set against top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, the steady cries from the crowd became quite distracting. It seems Radukanu had reached her limit. She paused the game to address the chair umpire, but it appeared the judge didn’t react as she had hoped.

“It felt like it took ten minutes,” Radukanu commented later.

The chair umpire responded rather pointedly, pointing out, “It’s just a child. Do you want me to remove kids from the stadium?” Radukanu gestured toward the stands, evidently frustrated. In a somewhat reluctant tone, the umpire replied, “I can call, but we need to keep playing for now.”

Despite the interruption, Radukanu managed to score the next point, but ultimately, Sabalenka took the match after a nail-biting three-set tiebreaker, finishing 7-5.

Following the match, Radukanu reflected on the experience, feeling “prideful” for pushing Sabalenka to a tiebreaker. “She’s the number one player in the world for a reason,” she said. “It’s an improvement because I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon. It felt different on hard court, and I’ve always thought grass was my best surface. So, I’m pretty proud to have taken her to such a competitive level on hard court.”

Currently, Radukanu holds the 39th position in the WTA rankings as she prepares for the upcoming 2025 US Open, which is set to start on August 18 in Queens, New York.