They make a real racket.
The US Open is always a good time, but passionate tennis fans say people at this year’s tournament have crossed the line. Honey Deuce cocktails flowed too freely, spectators were escorted out of the stadium by security and the smell of weed greeted attendees as they stepped off the 7 train.
“People are just wild. It felt like ‘Happy Gilmore’ tennis,” Matt, a 40-year-old Upper East Sider, said of his recent experience at Arthur Ashe Stadium. (He declined to give his last name for fear of being barred from future tennis invitations.)
Matt has gone to the US Open religiously every year for the past decade, but, he says, New Yorkers who watch the king play now behave like unruly peasants.
Passionate tennis fans say crowds at this year’s tournament have crossed the line with Honey Deuce cocktails flowing too freely as some spectators were escorted out of the stadium by security. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
Some fans said the Honey Deuce cocktail flowed too freely at this year’s US Open with some spectators saying they had seen fans escorted by security for drunken behavior. Getty Images for Gray Goose
During the Coco Gauff-Laura Siegemund match last Monday, the crowd in the 300-level seats — which cost more than $150 — was nonstop rowdy. A group of Gen Z onlookers two rows in front of him were playing Pokemon GO and taking selfies that blocked his view.
Then, towards the end of Novak Djokovic vs. Alexandre Müller later that night, he overheard a drunken party and saw a woman going DIY with the drink.
“The match became very competitive and tense and the referee called for silence and these guys kept going,” he said.
Frances Tiafoe was among the players who noticed the drunken atmosphere, saying: “Seventy percent of the fans are just loaded and just drunk.”Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“He actually took out a small bottle of Tito. She hid it in her bra. He has three of them. As soon as his Honey Deuce was low, he was ahead of him. I kept looking and gave the side eye. The person sitting in the row above me said, ‘can you shut up!’ He didn’t want to listen, he kept talking.”
Players are aware of the situation, too, including Frances Tiafoe, the 25-year-old American who will play in Tuesday’s all-American quarterfinals with Ben Shelton.
He told Time Magazine: “You can’t control 22,000 people. Seventy percent of fans are just loaded and completely drunk. You can tell them to ‘shut up’ all you want.”
Some fans took to social media to complain about the foul play.
I saw a group of three women last night and one was so drunk that she was carried off the field at the US Open.
That’s unacceptable suite behavior and a true tennis fan won’t waste it. Could be a one off, but I’ve never seen this in all the years I’ve been attending
— GlamSpinTennis (@GlamSpinTennis) September 1, 2023
“I saw a group of three women last night and one was so drunk that she was carried off the field at the US Open,” said one observer at X, previously on Twitter. “That is unacceptable behavior and true tennis fans will not waste it. Could be a one off, but I’ve never seen this in all my years [sic] rather than attending.”
In the worst case, things get bad.
During last week’s qualifiers, someone recorded and posted to TikTok a video of a fight that broke out when a man started shouting xenophobia at former Serbian tennis player Viktor Troicki in the crowd.
A swearing-in brawl broke out during a qualifying match last week when someone filmed and posted a video of a spectator shouting xenophobia at former tennis player Viktor Troicki to TikTok. sluggahjells3/tiktok
The rogue audience member called Troicki a “king clown”, and lunged at him, saying “This is New York, not the king of Serbia.”
The incident reportedly began when Troicki told the man to be quiet during the match. A security guard finally had to intervene.
Insiders say viewers aren’t just imagining that the behavior in the stands is worse than before.
“In years past, you could hear a pin drop, and during today’s matches people are just chatting. I swear I see someone across the court in the front row on their cell phone the whole time. I’ve seen quieter kids play in the stands,” one US Open regular told The Post. Getty Images
“People seem very drunk this year and very noisy. People move a lot during points not just exchange. In the outdoor court people were blocking people’s views and talking non-stop,” said a millennial woman who works for the tournament and spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity. “I had to tell some people to sit down or move because they were blocking everyone’s view.”
And the smell of marijuana is so strong that even the players are gripped.
On Tuesday after winning his match, 12th seed Alexander Zverev told the press, “My God, it’s everywhere. The whole court smelled like weed … Court 17 must have smelled like Snoop Dogg’s living room.”
Large crowds are part of the scene at the US Open but this year has seen new heights among some spectators, fans say.SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Others say the atmosphere isn’t too gangsta because it’s an elementary school.
A regular US Open spectator – who did not want to be named because he was invited for a corporate treat – sat in the front row during the Jannik Sinner-Lorenzo Sonego match on Thursday and was appalled by the childish behaviour.
“In years past, you could hear a pin drop, and during today’s matches people are just chatting. I swear I see someone across the court in the front row on their cell phone the whole time. I have seen children’s matches that are quieter in the stands,” he said.
On Tuesday after winning his match, 12th seed Alexander Zverev told the press, “My God, it’s everywhere. The whole court smelled like weed … Court 17 must have smelled like Snoop Dogg’s living room.” Getty Images
But Colette Piletto, 34, of Stamford, Connecticut, noted that the reason people come to the US Open in the first place is for the food.
“The US Open is always energetic – you need some Honey Deuces to get through today,” Piletto said. “I’m really interested in the bigger crowd and enjoying the sport.”
However, Matt says there needs to be a balance.
“You take the obligatory Honey Deuce in the air, but you’re there to watch tennis. Have we forgotten to behave like human beings?” he asked. “I don’t care if you cheer or whatever, but when the referee is like ‘shut up.’ Be quiet.'”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
