NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Open semifinal between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova was postponed for 50 minutes Thursday night because of a disturbance by environmental activists in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium. One protester had his bare feet stuck to the concrete floor.
Gauff was leading 6-4, 1-0 when play was stopped at the start of the second set.
Security forces and later more than half a dozen police officers went to confront the three protesters, who were wearing T-shirts that read “Stop fossil fuels.” Two of the activists were escorted out within minutes, but it took longer to remove the person whose feet were stuck on the ground.
Spectators were asked to move away to make way for police, who were cheered on by fans sitting near the section where the disturbance occurred.
One of the protesters, who identified himself only as Ian, said they wanted the US Open to be held accountable because it has sponsors who are large companies whose policies contribute to global warming.
“We are not trying to harm the athletes in any way. We have nothing against the sport, but we are really trying to bring attention to an issue that no one in the world can enjoy anymore,” he said.
Gauff sat on her bench for a while during the break and ate fruit from a plastic container before getting a few tennis balls and doing a few practice serves. Muchova was briefly visited by a trainer during the break.
Later, both players headed toward the locker room as the delay continued. Gauff sat on a treadmill, a towel draped across her lap as she chatted with members of her team.
It is the latest in a series of protests at sporting events – particularly tennis – linked to fossil fuel use.
In July, two matches at Wimbledon were interrupted when environmental activists jumped from the Court 18 stands and scattered orange confetti on the lawn.
At a US Open preparatory tournament in Washington last month, about a dozen people were asked to leave the grounds after chanting and putting up signs protesting the use of fossil fuels.
Gauff, a 19-year-old American, and Muchova, a 27-year-old Czech, were both playing in the Flushing Meadows semifinals for the first time.
Their match was the first of the evening. The other women’s semifinal between Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Madison Keys of the United States was scheduled to begin after the end of Gauff vs. Muchova.
Thursday’s two winners play for the Women’s Singles Championship in Ashe on Saturday.
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