Coco Gauff’s US Open semi-final tennis match was interrupted by a group of climate change protesters on Thursday night.
Gauff, 19, and Karolína Muchová were on the court when several individuals caused the game to be stopped at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
According to the US Tennis Association, the protesters stopped play for 49 minutes.
The Tennis Letter shared a video of part of the incident on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the video, Gauff approached members of her team and asked, “Should I leave the court?”
She was instructed not to.
“They said they were on the phone and negotiating as if this were a hostage situation,” she added as individuals seemingly tried to understand what was happening inside the stadium.
Protesters disrupt the US Open tennis match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova.
Elsa/Getty
Both Gauff and Muchová, 27, were eventually allowed to leave court during the extended intervention. The Atlanta native was leading 6-4, 1-0 when the group made a scene around 8:05 PM ET. Soon after, the players left the field.
Gauff used the break to practice hitting a few tennis balls and snack on some fruit. Muchová used the break to consult with the coach.
“After the first game of the second set in the Gauff-Muchova match, play was stopped due to protests by four spectators,” the USTA said in a statement. “Three of the four protesters were escorted from the stadium without further incidents. A fourth protester attached his bare feet to the floor of the seating shell.”
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Protesters disrupt the US Open tennis match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova.
Sarah Stier/Getty
The organization continued: “Due to the nature of this action, NYPD and medical personnel were needed to safely remove this individual from the stadium. Four protesters were taken into New York police custody.”
A group of protesters were seen wearing different colored t-shirts with the inscription “End of fossil fuels”.
After the protesters were removed, the announcer joked with Gauff as she thanked the audience for their patience, adding that “99.99 percent [the crowd] they behaved themselves tonight.”
Gauff then defeated Muchová to advance to her first US Open singles final, becoming the youngest American player to do so in New York since Serena Williams in 2001.
“Thank you so much … it means a lot to me, the final, a lot to celebrate, but you know, the work is not done, so we hope you will come back for me on Saturday,” she added as the stadium erupted in applause.
During her postgame press conference, Gauff told reporters that she supported the protesters, but that she would “prefer that not happen” during her game. She added that she is not “angry with the protesters”, but that she understands that the crowd is not happy because it is “just interrupting the party”.
“I always talk about preaching, you know, preaching what you feel and what you believe,” Gauff continued. “It was done in a calm way, so I can’t be too upset about it. Obviously I don’t want that to happen when I’m winning 6-4, 1-0, and I wanted to keep the momentum going. But hey, if that’s what they felt that they have to do to make their voice heard, I can’t really get upset about that.”
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Coco Gauff.
Team Clayton/Corbis via Getty
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Coco Gauff Says She’s ‘Not Trying’ to Follow in Serena Williams’ ‘Footsteps’: ‘She’s the GOAT’ (Exclusive)
Late last month, Gauff opened up to PEOPLE about her inspiration as an athlete.
“It’s still very shocking. I’m very shy,” she said during the interview, noting that it still feels like a dream to be considered a famous sports star.”
“I remember meeting those two girls recently and I hugged them both and they both started crying. But then I started crying!” Gauff added the encounter helped her put her impact in perspective.
The sixth player in the world aims for the Grand Slam title.
“It would mean a lot to me,” Gauff told PEOPLE. “For me, the goal is to win. That is the ultimate goal. Obviously, there are smaller ones along the way, and I think the biggest one is trying to make sure I control the matchups on my side of the court, and I think that will help me get to that end goal.”
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