The popularity of football was apparent at one of the grandest stages in Tennis, Australian Open as well. According to reports, spectators, commentators, and players heard something highly unusual as the thrilling matches continued throughout the day. Some fans started to chant ‘siuuu’ from the stands, which was a celebration cry made famous by the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. It was confusing for players and observers that fans were using such a chant at a tennis event.
The cry initially caught the attention of many during a match between Andy Murray and Nikoloz Basilashvili, which Murray won by 5 sets.
Sounds Interrupt Andy Murray’s On-Court Interview at Australian Open
After the British star emerged victorious at the first Australian Open match since 2017, the commentators were baffled by the sounds that came from a section of the audience. At first, they could not make up what the fans were saying. Their general assumption was that they were crying “boo”, which is often used to jeer the performer.
The fans also interrupted Murray’s on-court interview, which he referred to as “painful stuff”. Many wondered if something about the matches made the fans upset. However, later it became clear that the fans were not jeering him, but they reenacted the celebration cry that Cristiano Ronaldo made famous. Murray said that initially, he thought it was jeering because some people booed him during practice as well. But after some time, he realized that it was something Ronaldo did whenever he scored a goal. Murray laughingly said that it was “incredibly irritating”.
How Ronaldo Celebrates a Goal?
Cristiano Ronaldo started using his trademark goal celebration when he was at Real Madrid. The Manchester United and Portugal striker traditionally runs to the corner flag on the field after scoring a goal, leaps in the air, pirouettes, and lands with his arms and chest stretched out as fans join in by shouting ‘siuuu’ in harmony.
Ronaldo told the media that his iconic celebration comes from “si” the Spanish for “yes”. He said it came naturally to him, and he did not know why he started doing this. It was also unclear why tennis fans borrowed this cry from football and used it in Australian Open matches. Other tennis players also faced similar instances.
Who Else Heard the Sounds?
It was not only Murray who felt the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo in Australian Open tennis stands. French player Arthur Rinderknech also heard the chant and thought that the spectators were turning against him. On top of that, his opponent was Alexei Popyrin, an Australian, so it was likely for the crowds to be biased in such a situation. However, it was not the case as fans were enjoying the games by keeping up the ‘siuuu’ chants.
On the other hand, Australian player Nick Kyrgios got in with the crowd and started laughing along with them. He mentioned how he thought the fans would stop in like 10 minutes, but they carried on for 2.5 hours. It might have been different for his opponent Liam Broady, a Manchester City fan. United and City fans don’t like each other very much because of the bitter rivalry between two Manchester teams.
Kyrgios earned spectacular victory against Broady and did Ronaldo’s celebration himself.
This year, Novak Djokovic does not appear in the tournament because of refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
