Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To sympathise with Emma Raducanu

41 replies

KimberleyClark · 14/08/2025 07:51

I mean, who the hell brings a baby to a tennis match that may last hours in 30 degrees plus temperatures?

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/emma-raducanu-baby-crying-sabalenka-match-b2806328.html

OP posts:
13SixWeetabix · 14/08/2025 08:29

Daleksatemyshed · 14/08/2025 08:25

Wimbledon let children under 5 in but you can't take them to the show courts like centre court where the top seeds play. I'm amazed anyone thinks it's a reasonable idea for a baby to sit in that heat for ages

I don't think the parents thought it was reasonable, I think they didn't think beyond their own desires at all. Poor kid. And what a weak umpire.

LucyMonth · 14/08/2025 08:32

KimberleyClark · 14/08/2025 08:17

Would whoever voted YABU care to elaborate on their reasons?

I didn’t vote YABU but I don’t agree with you that I feel sorry for her.

Her competitor was playing under the same circumstances. To blame the child for being a distraction/annoyance isn’t really fair as it was a distraction/annoyance for her competitor too.

The baby shouldn’t have been there. Crying or otherwise. I’m also not sure the umpire could have dealt with the baby without looking like a dick. I think most people would agree the baby shouldn’t have been there but an umpire booming out over the mic to a parent in the audience saying “remove your child” would have been very humiliating for the parent, so I understand why the umpire would be reluctant to do that.

After all, the baby had been allowed in.

KillerMounjaro · 14/08/2025 08:42

LucyMonth · 14/08/2025 08:32

I didn’t vote YABU but I don’t agree with you that I feel sorry for her.

Her competitor was playing under the same circumstances. To blame the child for being a distraction/annoyance isn’t really fair as it was a distraction/annoyance for her competitor too.

The baby shouldn’t have been there. Crying or otherwise. I’m also not sure the umpire could have dealt with the baby without looking like a dick. I think most people would agree the baby shouldn’t have been there but an umpire booming out over the mic to a parent in the audience saying “remove your child” would have been very humiliating for the parent, so I understand why the umpire would be reluctant to do that.

After all, the baby had been allowed in.

Edited
Show quote history

The umpire absolutely could have dealt with it without “looking like a dick.” She could have so easily just said “please take the baby out” in a robotic umpire voice and it would have happened.

What the umpire actually did was just about the most sick move she could have done by making ER seem really unreasonable.

And yes, her competitor was playing under the same conditions, but some people are not bothered by a noise and some people (like me!) cannot think of anything else except the unwanted noise, to the detriment of whatever they are trying to do.

FanofLeaves · 14/08/2025 08:46

GenieGenealogy · 14/08/2025 08:05

Poor players.

"It’s a child,” the umpire responded incredulously. “Do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?”

Yes. Yes that is EXACTLY what you do in a situation where the adult with the baby is too entitled to make that decision themselves.

Precisely. She wasn’t asking for it to leave of its own accord and meet the parents in the champagne tent after either. Obviously she meant the baby had to be taken out by whoever thought it was a good idea to have it with them in the first place.

ChestnutGrove · 14/08/2025 08:49

GenieGenealogy · 14/08/2025 08:05

Poor players.

"It’s a child,” the umpire responded incredulously. “Do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?”

Yes. Yes that is EXACTLY what you do in a situation where the adult with the baby is too entitled to make that decision themselves.

Agree

FanofLeaves · 14/08/2025 08:55

I was a nanny for a family that attended an Olympic event once, so it was me, a toddler and both parents sitting in front of us in some fantastic seats. I was instructed to keep the toddler amused. And oh did I do my best but it went on for over two hours, after one hour he was really noisily fidgeting and making a fuss and I made to take him out and the parents said I should stay. The glares I got, understandably, from others trying to watch. Eventually I faked a toilet accident for the poor lad as an excuse to get him out of there.

I could tell stories about entitled parenting that would make your toes curl.

Ratafia · 14/08/2025 08:59

KimberleyClark · 14/08/2025 08:02

Yes, and the umpire made Raducanu look like the villain by saying do you want the child thrown out, it’s only a child. So unprofessional.

Show quote history

That was a bit ridiculous. It's not as if he would be depriving the child of a treat. If anything, I suspect the baby would be delighted to be taken somewhere cooler.

BeaLola · 14/08/2025 09:00

I hope the umpire is sanctioned - tbh though there should be an age restriction at events - RHS Chelsea only allows 5+

I can't understand these parents who take their babies/children to unsuitable events and ruin it for others. I would have been fuming if I had been sat next to that baby and parent - I probably would have said something too , politely of course

EasternStandard · 14/08/2025 09:05

Why not have an age limit anyway.

LucyMonth · 14/08/2025 09:20

KillerMounjaro · 14/08/2025 08:42

The umpire absolutely could have dealt with it without “looking like a dick.” She could have so easily just said “please take the baby out” in a robotic umpire voice and it would have happened.

What the umpire actually did was just about the most sick move she could have done by making ER seem really unreasonable.

And yes, her competitor was playing under the same conditions, but some people are not bothered by a noise and some people (like me!) cannot think of anything else except the unwanted noise, to the detriment of whatever they are trying to do.

Show quote history

“Please take the baby out” would have still felt embarrassing for the parents.

Whether some people are more bothered by noise or not is irrelevant. Some players will deal better with the heat. Some will deal better with different surfaces. Maybe one had a fight with their partner before coming on court. Maybe one has a cold.

Some footballers are playing while having racist slurs yelled at them. Some female athletes were breast feeding while competing at the olympics. Sports competitors are rarely playing under perfect conditions. It’s part of what makes them the top of their field that they can power through such things.

BTW I never disagreed that the baby absolutely shouldn’t have been there at all, but once there should have been removed by the parents once it started crying. I just don’t have a tonne of sympathy for Emma. I think it’s a bit of non event.

RichardMarxisinnocent · 14/08/2025 09:29

TheNightingalesStarling · 14/08/2025 08:10

If thestres can have a lower age limit, so can sports venues.

A limit of at least 5 would be fine for a tennis tournament.

Children under 5 aren't allowed in the Wimbledon show courts, I assumed all tournaments would have a similar rule but it seems not.

Epli · 14/08/2025 09:42

RichardMarxisinnocent · 14/08/2025 09:29

Children under 5 aren't allowed in the Wimbledon show courts, I assumed all tournaments would have a similar rule but it seems not.

Show quote history

On tennis reddit somebody said they had attended this particular tournament and there had been plenty of dogs, babies and toddlers. Madness!

WitchHag · 14/08/2025 09:56

Slight tangent (my brain goes weird ways)
But I think the noise is different for tennis (though agree equally impacts both players)

I’m basing this brain fart on the premise that almost all specifically aiming with equipment activities are silent - Tennis, Snooker, Darts, Shooting etc. So there must be something in that, somewhere.

I feel sorry for Emma only because she was made to look out of order for pointing out that it needed stopping - that’s the umpires job.

As for the umpire not wanting to embarrass the parents - no offence but sod that! Who said parents can never be embarrassed? They brought their baby somewhere wholly unsuitable, swaddled it up in intense heat and then failed to respond to its “get me the hell out of here signals” inconvenienced top level sports starts and an entire crowd. Frankly a bit more shaming of these types of people is in order.

vivainsomnia · 14/08/2025 10:23

The new mantra 'but it's just a child, what do you want me to do' grrrrrr

AngeloMysterioso · 15/08/2025 18:55

“Please take the baby out” would have still felt embarrassing for the parents.”

Good!

BlackberryPickingRetriever · 15/08/2025 19:26

LucyMonth · 14/08/2025 09:20

“Please take the baby out” would have still felt embarrassing for the parents.

Whether some people are more bothered by noise or not is irrelevant. Some players will deal better with the heat. Some will deal better with different surfaces. Maybe one had a fight with their partner before coming on court. Maybe one has a cold.

Some footballers are playing while having racist slurs yelled at them. Some female athletes were breast feeding while competing at the olympics. Sports competitors are rarely playing under perfect conditions. It’s part of what makes them the top of their field that they can power through such things.

BTW I never disagreed that the baby absolutely shouldn’t have been there at all, but once there should have been removed by the parents once it started crying. I just don’t have a tonne of sympathy for Emma. I think it’s a bit of non event.

Edited
Show quote history

@LucyMonthso they should bloody well be embarrassed!

Why should BOTH players suffer because of entitlement?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page