Climate radicals made a scene again. During the semifinal match of the women's U.S. Open between American Cori "Coco" Gauff and Czech Karolina Muchova, activists wearing T-shirts with the slogan "End fossil fuels" caused a disruption of play. One of them even glued his bare feet to the ground to avoid being removed from Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Security officers and police managed to get them out of the stadium. Due to the protests, the match was stopped for approximately 50 minutes. Several spectators jeered the radicals.
Coco Gauff’s US Open semi-final against Karolina Muchova halted by climate change protestors in the stands. #usopen pic.twitter.com/qded3qEYBN
— Matt Majendie (@mattmajendie) September 8, 2023
Gauff: "I can't get too mad at it"
The event occurred in the second set, with Gauff well on her way to victory. Although it could have stopped her momentum, the American tennis player said she understood the reasons that led these radicals to protest:
I always speak about preaching about what you feel and what you believe in. It was done in a peaceful way, so I can’t get too mad at it. Obviously I don’t want it to happen when I’m winning up 6-4, 1-0, and I wanted the momentum to keep going. But hey, if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get their voices heard, I can’t really get upset at it.
Gauff, 19, will play the U.S. Open final on Saturday against Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka.
