Simon Jordan has launched a passionate defence of Emma Raducanu following her controversial request for a crying baby to be ejected during her Cincinnati Open match. The British tennis star was distracted by an infant's cries while serving against Aryna Sabalenka, leading to an exchange with the umpire that divided opinion.
Raducanu, ranked world No. 33, paused her service action in the eighth game of the third-round clash, gesturing towards the crowd and telling the umpire: 'It's been, like, 10 minutes.' The umpire responded: 'It's a child. Do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?' A section of the crowd shouted 'Yes!' but it remains unclear if the child was removed.
Former Crystal Palace chairman Jordan, speaking on talkSPORT, argued that bringing infants to such events is irresponsible. 'If they've got a baby inside an auditorium, I don't think it's particularly responsible parenting,' he said. 'And it's not reflective of the environment a child should probably be in.' He compared the situation to theatres, which typically bar young children.
Host Jim White countered that babies are allowed on planes, but Jordan retorted: 'I don't suppose the pilot would want the baby in the cockpit, would he?' He suggested age restrictions for events requiring concentration, citing snooker and boxing as examples where crying infants would be inappropriate.
Raducanu ultimately lost the match 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) to Sabalenka, who was magnanimous in victory. The Brit now turns her attention to the US Open, buoyed by strong performances since Wimbledon.
