The match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova had to be suspended due to shouts from the stands from a group of climate change activists.
Homegrown star Coco Gauff beat Czech Karolina Muchova 6-4, 1-0 in the US Open semi-final when suddenly screams began to be heard from the top of the stands at Arthur Ashe Center Court. The riot came from three protesters wearing T-shirts with the slogan “end fossil fuels”.
The protest was greeted with boos and chants of “Throw them out” from nearly 23,000 spectators. However, the situation did not improve. The two players waited at the edge of the pitch as security personnel made their way to the area of the protesters.
After around 15 minutes, the two players decided to grab their bags and retire to the locker room, seeing that the problem was far from solved. In fact, they had to wait another 35 minutes.
Although both protesters were expelled, images posted on social media appeared to show that the third had stuck his bare feet to the concrete floor of the pitch, making it difficult for him to be kicked out by security.
Meanwhile, Gauff and Muchova tried to keep calm in the locker room, doing exercises to keep from getting cold and consulting with their coaches. On her return, the 19-year-old American tennis player ended up winning the match 6-4, 7-5 to reach her first final at Flushing Meadows, the second of a grand slam after the one at Roland-Garros last year. .
Eventually, the third protester was led away handcuffed and booed by nearby onlookers. The players were able to return to the field and after a brief warm-up they resumed play,
“At these large-scale events, protesters use the platform. We will work to ensure that this does not happen again in the future. » US Open manager Stacey Allaster told ESPN.
something usual
The incident is the latest in a series of protests by climate activists at major sporting events around the world.
In July, three people were arrested after disrupting the Wimbledon match. , scattering confetti and puzzle pieces on the track. All three were charged with aggravated trespassing and faced criminal charges.
Track to El Deportivo
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
