Jakub Mensik’s third-round battle with American youngster Learner Tien at the US Open was briefly overshadowed by an unruly spectator who repeatedly disrupted the contest inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The Czech star eventually stopped play and appealed for officials to intervene, prompting security staff to remove the heckling fan from the stands.
The incident added another dramatic chapter to an increasingly eventful tournament in New York.
Mensik Calls for Fan to Be Removed
With the match continuing well into the early hours of Sunday, the atmosphere inside the second-largest showcourt had become increasingly raucous.
Most of the crowd was firmly behind Tien, who was attempting to continue his run at his home Grand Slam.
However, one spectator appeared to repeatedly target Mensik with heckling.
The interruptions eventually became too much for the Czech player, who halted the match and asked tournament officials to deal with the situation.
Other spectators appeared to back Mensik’s complaint, with chants of “Kick him out” breaking out around the stadium.
The fan then stood up and began making his way out before security personnel reached him.
Officials subsequently escorted him from the venue as the crowd responded with further cheers.
Tien Survives Five-Set Battle
Once the disturbance had been dealt with, Mensik and Tien returned their attention to the contest.
The American held his composure during a dramatic five-set encounter, eventually overcoming Mensik 6-3, 1-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.
The victory sent Tien into the fourth round, giving the home player another significant moment in his breakthrough run at the US Open.
Mensik, meanwhile, was left to reflect on a marathon contest that had already featured plenty of tension before the late-night crowd disturbance.
US Open Faces Another Fan Conduct Issue
The incident involving Mensik is the latest in a series of unusual spectator-related moments at this year’s tournament.
The US Open has attracted an increasingly diverse audience as tennis continues to grow beyond its traditional fan base.
However, some of the attention surrounding the tournament has also focused on influencers and spectators whose behavior has drawn scrutiny.
Two New York-based influencers, Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens of The VIP List, said they had their US Open credentials revoked earlier in the week.
The pair claimed their credentials were withdrawn after they posted photographs of them on social media while visiting a restaurant they had partnered with during the tournament.
Radice said they had gone to the restaurant for dinner and drinks before attending the courts, only to learn within a couple of hours of leaving that their credentials could no longer be used.
Jongens described the development as heartbreaking, according to comments reported by TMZ.
Sabalenka Also Interrupted Play Over Crowd Complaint
Another unusual spectator incident occurred during Aryna Sabalenka’s third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova.
The world No. 1 stopped play during the opening stages after becoming concerned about a strong smell that she believed was marijuana coming from the crowd.
Sabalenka was serving at 30-0 when she alerted chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore to the issue.
“Someone is smoking weed,” Sabalenka told the umpire, asking officials to address the situation because the smell was particularly strong.
Asderaki-Moore quickly contacted tournament staff, while security personnel searched the surrounding spectators for the source of the smell.
Sabalenka was eventually able to continue and went on to win the match in straight sets.
A Tournament Filled With Unexpected Drama
Mensik’s confrontation with the heckling spectator adds to an increasingly unpredictable US Open, where attention has repeatedly shifted from the tennis itself to incidents unfolding around the courts.
While Tien ultimately claimed the biggest prize from Saturday night’s drama by advancing to the fourth round, the scenes involving the ejected spectator ensured that his victory was far from the only talking point when the late-night session finally came to an end.
