The U.S. Open women’s semifinal match was brought to a standstill on Thursday night due to an environmental protest. The match between American Coco Gauff and Czech player Karolína Muchová was interrupted one game into the second set.
As reported by CBS News on Friday, several individuals began shouting from the upper section of Arthur Ashe Stadium, resulting in the players returning to the locker room while the demonstration persisted.
Tournament officials stated that three protesters disrupted the game. Two left peacefully when security arrived, but one demonstrator had attached his feet to the stadium floor. Police were required to remove the final protester.
The match resumed following a delay of nearly 50 minutes. The possible charges the protesters could face remain unknown.
The protesters’ shirts bore the Extinction Rebellion logo, a group known for climate change protests. The shirts read “end fossil fuels.” During the disruption, the group shared a social media post about men’s semifinalist Daniil Medvedev’s comments on the tournament’s extreme heat.
The New York City chapter of Extinction Rebellion released a statement, highlighting the threat of the climate crisis to all facets of life, including sports, and the necessity for unconventional protest methods.
This incident follows recent environmental protests at Wimbledon and a U.S. Open warm-up match in Washington.
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