Fans Applaud Tennis Player Emma Raducanu For Asking The Ump At The Cincinnati Open To Remove A Crying Baby
The tennis player couldn't focus on her match with a baby that had been crying in the audience for nearly 10 minutes.
Colin McPhedran | Shutterstock British tennis player Emma Raducanu made waves recently when she asked an umpire to remove a noisy, upset baby from the stands of the Cincinnati Open. Raducanu was playing against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka, who is currently the top-ranked Women’s Tennis Association player in the world, so it’s understandable that she needed all the concentration she could muster.
Fans at the match and online applauded Raducanu’s move to try to get the baby removed. However, the situation does call into question the right of parents to enjoy a public outing.
In a moment that has gone viral, Raducanu requested the umpire remove a crying baby.
Raducanu was probably hoping that if she made news at the Cincinnati Open, it would be for her tennis skills. However, she made a completely different kind of statement when she asked the umpire to remove a crying baby. In a clip from her match against Sabalenka that has gone viral, a baby could be heard crying somewhere in the audience as Raducanu prepared to serve the ball.
After trying to focus and do her thing for a minute, Raducanu took a few steps away from the match and called out to the umpire, “It’s been like 10 minutes.” The umpire didn’t seem to know what to do, as she helplessly responded, “It’s a child. Do you want me to send a child out of the stadium?”
The umpire was probably not anticipating the impact her words would have, because as soon as the question was out of her mouth, fans around the stadium began calling out, “Yes!” Raducanu gestured at the crowd with a shrug, as if to say, “I told you so.”
“I can call in, but we need to continue for the moment,” the umpire replied, basically meaning she would see what she could do, but they couldn’t stop the game for a crying baby. According to Sports Illustrated writer Blake Silverman, Raducanu was able to complete her serve and actually win that point against Sabalenka, although Sabalenka prevailed in the match in the end.
It wasn’t just the fans at the stadium who supported Raducanu’s move to have the crying baby removed.
The video of the controversial exchange was shared on Reddit, where users had quite a bit to say about the situation. “I have an 11-month-old boy right now, and the idea of taking him to a tennis match in the middle of the summer heat is nothing short of MINDBLOWING to me,” one said. “What nutcase would do this?”
Others were pretty shocked at the umpire’s nonchalance and with those who had negative opinions about Raducanu’s reaction. “The umpire acting like it was such a terrible ask! If an adult was making that much noise, there’s no question they’d be [asked] to leave,” one person said.
Another added, “A lot of the news coverage seems to have an implication of some anti-kid sentiment [from] Ms. Raducanu, but the consensus of those in attendance was that the kid was a distraction and needed to go.”
This entire incident calls into question when it’s appropriate to have a baby with you in public.
Albina Tiplyashina | Shutterstock
It’s an age-old debate, really. Texas Health said that when babies are feeling social and “past the stage of stranger anxiety,” around 8 to 10 months of age, parents can try taking them out to different events. They also pointed out that it’s essential to consider whether or not your baby is likely to get tired and have a plan in place if they need a nap.
It may seem unfair to force new parents to stay home with their babies and away from events they might enjoy, but they could easily get a babysitter. Also, it was their decision to have children, and they have to accept all that comes with that choice. Parents deserve to go out and enjoy themselves, but that doesn’t mean they need to bring their babies. Raducanu did nothing wrong.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
