Australian Open 2024: Women's final disrupted briefly by pro-Palestine protests

The Australian Open women’s final was disrupted briefly by protestors chanting “Free Palestine” while Qinwen Zheng tried to serve against Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday. The chair umpire asked the Chinese player to wait until the protestors were removed by security.

The two protestors, with a Palestine flag, stood up and chanted in support of the country under attack by Israeli forces, with Zheng down 3-6, 0-2 in the championship match. The commotion started as she tried to get on board in the second set.

“The crowd aren’t very happy about the disturbance. It seems like we’re going to have to deal with this, I can see some security involved,” Commentator Jo Durie said. Co-commentator Naomi Cavaday replied: “They can’t play until this is dealt with.

Bloke in the crowd shouts out “free Palestine” midway through women’s final.

His protest failed to have the desired impact as he was booed as he left the arena and security were cheered. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/asnnKW3lvx

— Shane McInnes (@shanemcinnes) January 27, 2024

“There are some people being removed which sounds like they are being dealt with swiftly. Oh no, here we go. This is so hard for the players, right in the middle of their concentration zones.” When play quickly resumed within a couple of minutes, Durie added: “It’s a good job from the security for sorting that sharpish.”

This is not the first time that a protestor has been removed from the stands this Australian Open. A spectator was also taken away from the premises as they threw “Free Palestine” flyers onto the Margaret Court Arena during the match between Alexander Zverev and Cameron Norrie.

It needed the fellow spectators to take matters into their own hands and urged the protestors off the stadium. It took a few minutes for ball kids and staff to tidy the court.

“Obviously we’re both aware. We had to stop the match for a few moments. I didn’t feel threatened or anything. It is what it is. Those things happen nowadays,” Norrie later said.

“I think there were a couple of fans that actually helped out. But yeah, I don’t think anyone felt threatened or anything. Yeah, it was all right. I managed to hold my serve that game, so yeah.”

While Zverev slammed the security lapse and expressed surprise with security failing to act fast. He said: “I think when something like this happens, it shouldn’t be another fan dragging the other person out. It should be the security guys that should be there quite quickly. It shouldn’t take them three, four minutes, that long.”

In the women’s final, Sabalenka went on to beat Zheng 6-3, 6-2 in a one-sided final.