– A player is going to die, and then you will see. Russian Daniil Medvedev went straight into the camera with his message in the middle of the third set in the quarter-finals against compatriot Andrei Rublev. The frustrations over the conditions in which the year’s last Grand Slam tournament in tennis is being played had literally boiled over for Medvedev. At that time, the temperature outside the Arthur Ashe arena in New York was well over 30 degrees, combined with a humidity that made the conditions almost suffocating for the players. This was nevertheless clear that it was opponent Rublev who clearly struggled the most with the heat. Medvedev won in straight sets. You can say a lot about all-Russian quarter-finals these days. But here the point is that Medvedev put into words a type of fear that many believe the sport’s leaders are trying to conceal. Extremely physically demanding The conditions are so extremely physically demanding that players can end up losing their lives while practicing their sport, where matches cannot exceptionally last five hours or more. But the focus on conditions in New York received even greater attention the next day. The semi-final between the American shooting star Coco Gauff and the Czech Karolina Muchova had reached the second game in the second set when the match was suddenly interrupted by shouts of protest from the stands. The activist group Extinction Rebellion marked its opposition to continued extraction of fossil energy sources. SHAREHOLDERS: “End fossil fuel now” was the message from the climate activists. Photo: John Minchillo / AP “End fossil fuel now”, as it is called in the original language. Three of the four activists were removed. The last one glued his bare feet to the concrete and stood. For more than 45 minutes the players had to wait. Everyone hates this, when you are in the middle of doing something you have prepared for a long time, whether you are skiing, playing football or tennis. You will not be disturbed. Of something. But in the background, Coco Gauff expressed a surprisingly large degree of understanding for the protesters. After similar demonstrations during the French Open in Paris and Wimbledon in London this summer, she was prepared, she said. But also went further. Understanding grows “If that’s what they felt was necessary to be heard, then I can’t be upset about it,” said the 19-year-old rising star, after qualifying for her first US Open final. No one wants it then and there. 24,000 spectators cheered as the protesters were led away. But the understanding of their desperation is growing, also within the world of sport. Because sport cannot isolate itself from the rest of the world. Not if you go cross-country skiing on the remains of snow, or if you play tennis in a heat wave that should never have been there. The likelihood that the biggest tennis tournaments will become increasingly difficult to organize in the coming years is imminent. It is only on the main tracks that you can drive over the roof. The way there is via games of up to 20 courses, all of which are exposed to whatever the weather gods think they deserve treatment. It is already 10 years since the Australian Open had to introduce temperature limits. Now they are talking about the same thing in New York. And the protesters in the stands are no longer just an annoyance to enthusiasts in the stands of the Arthur Ashe arena or in front of television screens around the world. They are someone to be reckoned with. And soon have to embrace. Because no one escapes the new climate reality. And it is starting to dawn on more and more people. Therefore, Coco Gauff has realized what everyone must soon realize. The sports world must also recognize the challenges to a much greater extent than now. Because the protests will continue, whether you like it or not. And it will disturb and annoy, until even the biggest stars use their positions to express their concern. UNDERSTANDING THE PROTESTS: Coco Gauff had to leave the field, but understands why. Photo: AP Protests must disrupt The lack of will among the world’s biggest sports stars to use their unique opportunities to raise awareness is unfortunately striking. Instead, we are currently mostly left with well-calibrated messages from calculating actors. A Fifa campaign for an apparently good cause engages no one. And the politically correct Handshake for peace has long since ended – and also players who kneel before matches to support the fight against racism. Because it became common. And part of the liturgy. Because protests must disrupt to actually be protests. And therefore they have to push the limits, also during the biggest sporting events, in the oil state of Norway and the rest of a world without control over the development of the climate. Posters and banners will never be enough, as long as TV producers will never show them to anyone other than those who are actually in the stadium, therefore more football matches, more ski races on artificial snow and more tennis matches are stopped. And more will do like Coco Gauff and give it their more or less direct support. “No tennis on a dead planet” was the second slogan conveyed from the stands in New York this week. It won’t happen. Hopefully, the message will reach home before Daniil Medvedev is right in his pessimistic prediction. Now he is ready for the final against the Serbian giant Novak Djokovic. The day after Coco Gauff played her first Grand Slam final at home in New York and won. About 45 minutes late. Minutes that were perhaps the most important during this year’s US Open. And they come again. Because what can actually stop it? That you stop the extraction of fossil fuel, of course. But that doesn’t happen. So then it is instead to do like Coco Gauff. Prepare for more. And hope no one dies.
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