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Atlanta-born Coco Gauff advances to first U.S. Open final

By WSBTV.com News Staff

Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts during a match against Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the women's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) (Manu Fernandez/AP)

By WSBTV.com News Staff

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The U.S. Open semifinal between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova was delayed by 50 minutes because of a disruption by environmental activists in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands on Thursday night. One protester glued his bare feet to the concrete floor.

Gauff was ahead 6-4, 1-0 when play was halted early in the second set.

After the disruption, Gauff went on to win the second set 7-5, clinching her spot in the U.S. Open finals.

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One of the protesters, who identified himself only as Ian, said they wanted the U.S. Open to be accountable because it has sponsors who are large corporations whose policies are contributing 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 draw attention to an issue here that there will be no tennis left for anybody in the world to enjoy,” he said.

Gauff sat on her sideline bench for a bit during the break in the match, eating fruit out of a plastic container, before then getting some tennis balls and hitting a few practice serves. Muchova was briefly visited by a trainer during the interruption.

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Later, both players headed toward the locker room as the delay continued. Gauff sat on a treadmill, a towel draped over her lap, while chatting with members of her team.

Gauff, a 19-year-old American, and Muchova, a 27-year-old from the Czech Republic, were both playing in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the first time.

Their match was the first of the night.

Gauff will face off with the winner of the semifinal match between Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Madison Keys of the United States.

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The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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