That’s too much racket!
Boozed-up fans at the US Open are much louder and rowdier during games than audiences at other elite tennis tournaments — irritating players and serious spectators.
Raucous folks in the stands have been spotted noisily gabbing, snapping court-blocking selfies and rudely taking calls on speaker phones at high-stakes matches, where players can hear a pin drop.
“They are obnoxious. They are inconsiderate. They talk through the game. They put their feet up against your seat like it’s empty,” said Rob Stein, 65, a retired entrepreneur from Queens.
Stein said he was distracted by loud fans while watching Canadian champ Félix Auger-Aliassime face off against Australian pro Alex de Minaur at Arthur Ashe Stadium Wednesday.
“There is no respect for the game anymore. I can never imagine this happening at Wimbledon,” he said.
Throngs of fans guzzling signature cocktails, such as the Honey Deuce and the new Watermelon Slice, have turned the once-respectful off-court scene into a chaotic party, he said.
“I believe [drinking] plays a role in their bad behavior. Some don’t come to watch the game. It’s like hanging out,” Stein said.
The wild US Open crowd agitated Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic so much during a set Tuesday night, he complained to an umpire — imploring, “What are you gonna do?”
Djokovic was serving during the third set of his quarterfinals match against Taylor Fritz when he faulted and flipped out. He then demanded that the chair umpire, Damien Dumusois, order fans to quiet down.
“It’s not gonna help, Novak,” the ump responded.
On Wednesday, spectators also complained about loud-talkers gabbing through matches — etiquette that would be quickly shut down at traditional grand slams such as Wimbledon or the French Open, where alcohol in the stands is now banned.
“It was loud, it was rude,” one fan, Tony, said of a noisy group seated next to him. “Your conversation should be kept quiet during play but at but at break you can elevate.”
The loudmouths, who were gossiping about people and their jobs, distracted him from the match between Auger-Aliassime and de Minaur, he said.
His wife, Maria, said US Open fans have lost their manners in recent years.
“I’ve been coming since I was a little girl. Back then, it was quiet when they were playing, but now things have changed,” she said. “There is a lot of people just taking pictures of themselves, and there is another set who are serious about watching tennis.”
Tennis buff Barbara N., 65, said she’s been to other Grand Slams around the world, and the US Open takes home the trophy for noisiest crowd.
“I’ve been to them all. It’s a little louder here but everyone has different things about them. The Australians they chant ‘Oi, oi, oi.’ The French, they do talk. I’ve been to Wimbledon once and it was just an amazing feeling,” she said.
“New Yorkers are just a little louder,” she said. “We gotta tone it down a bit.”
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