Tennis Fans Slam Disrespectful Crowd Behavior in De Minaur’s Miami Open Victory
Tennis fans have expressed outrage over the “terrible” and “disrespectful” treatment Alex de Minaur received during his thrilling Miami Open victory against Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca on Monday night.
The World No. 11 battled back from a set down to secure a 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 win and advance to the Round of 16, overcoming both his opponent and a raucous pro-Fonseca crowd.
Hostile Atmosphere in Miami
With Brazilian supporters packing the stands, de Minaur faced an intense atmosphere, as fans cheered his errors and disrupted his service motion with loud outbursts. Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani repeatedly urged the crowd to be more respectful, but many ignored his warnings.
Boos also echoed around the Hard Rock Stadium when de Minaur clinched match point, but the Aussie remained composed, even applauding his 18-year-old opponent as he exited the court.
Fans Call Out ‘Disgusting’ Crowd Behavior
Viewers took to social media to condemn the crowd’s actions, with many expressing disappointment in the lack of sportsmanship.
- “Supporting Fonseca is great, but cheering at faults is disgusting behavior. It’s satisfying to see a player win against that kind of crowd. Shout out to de Minaur.”
- “The crowd is so disrespectful—it’s hard to watch. The worst offenders should be kicked out. Why are they allowed to yell during de Minaur’s serves?”
- “At first, this was fun, but now it’s just disrespectful. You can see the noise getting to de Minaur.”
Despite the hostile environment, de Minaur earned widespread praise for his mental toughness and professionalism.
De Minaur Stays Focused Amid Crowd Chaos
Reflecting on his win, de Minaur admitted the biggest challenge was staying locked in:
“A lot of it was mental—staying focused in the moment. There’s no other way. You can complain, get rattled, or do a lot of things, but that won’t help you win the match. I told myself it would be a battle—not just against the player, but against the crowd. I just put my head down, did the work, and competed for every single point.”
De Minaur, who is working to regain form after sliding from World No. 6, will now face 29th seed Matteo Berrettini in the next round.
Adam Walton’s Fairytale Run Continues
In another remarkable story for Australian tennis, ‘lucky loser’ Adam Walton extended his dream run at the Miami Open, reaching the last 16 with a hard-fought 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-4 victory over Coleman Wong.
The 26-year-old Queenslander, who initially lost in the qualifying rounds, received a late call-up when No. 21 seed Hubert Hurkacz withdrew due to injury. With Hurkacz holding a first-round bye, Walton was thrust directly into the second round, where he took full advantage.
“I shouldn’t even be here,” Walton admitted. “I got thrashed in qualifying, was about to fly to Mexico for another tournament, and then suddenly, I’m playing in Miami. It almost feels like a new start, a new tournament.”
His next challenge? Third seed Taylor Fritz in what will be the biggest match of his career.
Zverev Ends Jordan Thompson’s Run
Meanwhile, top seed Alexander Zverev recovered from a slow start to defeat Jordan Thompson 7-5, 6-4. The German World No. 2 trailed 4-1 in the opening set, but then reeled off eight of the next nine games to seize control.
“Jordan made it difficult; he knows how to disrupt rhythm,” Zverev said. “But I’m happy with my level after 1-4, only losing one game out of the next nine.”
With Carlos Alcaraz already out of the tournament, Zverev is now among the favorites to claim his eighth Masters 1000 title.
