In an unexpected turn of events at the U.S. Open, climate protesters disrupted the women’s semi-final match between American Coco Gauff and Czech Karolina Muchova, bringing the game to a halt for nearly an hour on Thursday.
The disturbance occurred with Gauff leading by one set and holding her serve to commence the second set. Disruption emerged in the upper tiers of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the sport’s largest venue with seating for over 23,000 spectators.
According to Stacey Allaster, Chief Executive Professional Tennis of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), three climate protesters were involved in the incident.
Subsequently, the USTA issued a statement confirming that four individuals were taken into custody by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The USTA statement reported, “Three of the four protesters were escorted out of the stadium without further incident. The fourth protester affixed their bare feet to the floor of the seating bowl. Due to the nature of this action, NYPD and medical personnel were needed in order to safely remove this individual from the stadium.”
Photographs from the scene depicted protesters wearing shirts bearing the slogan “End Fossil Fuels.”
As players and spectators looked towards the stands, security personnel quickly arrived in the section where the protesters were causing a disturbance. Television broadcasts captured more than a dozen law enforcement officers present in that area.
In response to the incident, players were temporarily escorted off the court by a USTA official. After a 45-minute delay, they returned for a warm-up, and play resumed.
This incident adds to a series of climate-related protests targeting major sporting events this year. In July, “Just Stop Oil” protesters disrupted matches at Wimbledon, releasing orange ticker-tape mixed with jigsaw puzzle pieces during the games.
