Tennis fans booed for breaking tennis etiquette as Wozniacki's comeback rolls on
Fans at the US Open were booed for leaving the court early during one of Caroline Woznicaki’s service games.
The Dane is playing in her first Grand Slam since the 2020 Australian Open as she made a triumphant return to the court earlier this month after more than three years away. Following a straight-sets victory over Tatiana Prozorova in the first round, the 33-year-old took on Petra Kvitova in round two - a battle of former Grand Slam champions.
In what a fascinating contest under the lights inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, some fans were walking out of the arena while the former world number one was serving at 4-4 in the second set. "Where on earth are they going?", said the perplexed commentator, who was stunned people were leaving in the middle of an enticing matchup between two of the game’s most experienced players.
Some fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the incident, as one said: “Hate this. Disrespectful. Never understood how people leave in the middle of matches/concerts, etc.” Another said: "Good. The tennis etiquette during play has really deteriorated compared to when I first started going to the US Open."
However other fans viewed it from a different perspective, as another wrote: “We don’t know if they had an emergency. What if it was their child? Just be nice.” This viewer posted: “What a*******s, we have no clue why these people had to leave. Too much rush to judgement.”
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The US Open crowd, in particular on Arthur Ashe, is known for its unforgiving nature at times and the spectators who exited the court were not spared by the notoriously lively audience. On the court, fans were treated to a two-hour contest between two veterans looking to outwit one another with both their skill and mental strength.
Wozniacki, who has been a runner-up at the US Open on two occasions, took a 6-5 lead in the opening set by holding with two crucial aces, before taking her second set point after forcing an error from the racket of her Czech opponent. She had two match points at 5-4 in the second set, but a resilient Kvitova managed to save them before the players moved into a tiebreak.
In the breaker, the 2018 Australian Open champion surged into a commanding 4-1 lead and went on to close out the match after Kvitova hit her return out on match point. Wozniacki beamed with pride after recording a victory over the world number 11 and two-time Wimbledon champion to move into the third round at Flushing Meadows.
(@TheTennisLetter/Twitter)Her 7-5, 7-6(5) win marks her first victory over a top 20 player since 2018 when she beat the same opponent in that year's WTA Finals. She was overcome with emotion as she sobbed in her chair after her victory. “Obviously, I knew coming into the match that I had a chance to win, and I believe in myself,” she said. “At the same time, she obviously has had a great year. She’s 11 in the world, loves to play on hard courts. I knew it was going to be a very tough one and I had to play my best tennis.”
Wozniacki will continue her campaign against Jennifer Brady in round three. The American is on a comeback of her own after a knee injury kept her out of action for two years. Commencing on the excitement of playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium once again, Wozniacki said: “I’m just so thrilled to have an opportunity to play out on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“Three years ago, if you’d asked me, I didn’t think I was ever going to play on one of those courts again in the US Open, especially a night session. It just feels pretty incredible to be out there and winning a match like that.”
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