Emma Raducanu’s Cincinnati Open thriller against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka boiled over on Monday night when the Briton stopped mid-serve to confront the umpire over a crying child in the stands.

Raducanu, who eventually lost 7-6 (6-2), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) in a near three-hour epic, was serving at a crucial point in the deciding set when persistent wailing from the crowd broke her concentration.

She stepped back, visibly irritated, and turned to the chair official.

“It’s been, like, 10 minutes,” she said, gesturing towards the source of the noise.

Emma Raducanu’s Cincinnati Open thriller against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka boiled over on Monday night when the Briton stopped mid-serve to confront the umpire over a crying child in the stands

The umpire was blunt in his reply, however, saying: “It’s a child. Do you want me to kick the child out of the stadium?”

Those comments drew an uncertain shrug from Raducanu, before some fans shouted “yes” from the stands. The 22-year-old eventually nodded, indicating she agreed action should be taken.

The exchange caused an awkward pause in proceedings. The umpire declined to stop the match, telling Raducanu, “We need to continue for the moment,” and the Briton returned to serve.

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She held to level at 4-4, but the flashpoint added another layer of drama to an already ferocious contest.

Up to that point, Raducanu had produced some of her best tennis since her 2021 US Open triumph.

Under the watchful eye of new coach Francisco Roig, who used to be Rafael Nadal's mentor, she matched Sabalenka for power and intensity in sweltering 31°C heat.

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RADUCANU IS COMPLAINING BECAUSE A BABY HAS BEEN CRYING FOR THE PAST “10mins” AND SABALENKA IS LOOSING THE EASIEST POINTS.

ABSOLUTE CINEMA. pic.twitter.com/npjTueGVQ0

— Set 1 Game 4 Break Point - NO (-130) (@enanrb) August 11, 2025

Roig was vocal between points, urging his player to “be brave and calm” and reminding her to “believe” as she pushed the top seed to the edge.

After losing a tight first-set tie-break, Raducanu found a way to break Sabalenka’s rhythm in the second, drawing errors and sealing the set with a bold ace down the middle.

It was the first set she had ever taken from the reigning US Open champion in three meetings.

The deciding set was an exhausting tug-of-war.

At 4-3, Raducanu survived a 22-minute, 13-deuce game, saving four break points to hold serve as the crowd roared.

Yet despite her resilience, Sabalenka’s big-match experience told in the final tiebreak, where she closed out the match with ruthless precision.

Emma Raducanu pushed Aryna Sabalenka all the way but ultimately came up short

The defeat will sting, not least because Raducanu was within inches of her biggest scalp in three years.

But the Briton will be pleased with her efforts at the US Open approaches, having pushed the world No 1 all the way despite the tricky conditions.

Raducanu's display last night suggests she's capable of challenging for the final major of the year. Whether she does so remains to be seen.