Mary Carillo Sparks Backlash with Interruptions at US Open Ceremony

Mary Carillo repeatedly cut off both women’s finalists during their post-match speeches at the US Open final on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, igniting fan outrage online.

In a ceremony intended for players’ reflections, Carillo’s hurried prompts to Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova robbed them of key thank-you moments, prompting widespread criticism from tennis fans and commentators.

Organizers’ decision to have Carillo conduct on-court interviews instead of allowing the usual free-flowing speeches drew sharp rebukes on social media. Viewers argued that post-championship remarks should spotlight players’ gratitude, not host-driven soundbites.

Fans Criticize Ceremony

• “Absolutely awful hosted ceremony by Mary Carillo”-Tennis Updates
• “Mary Carillo was HORRIBLE at the @usopen. She made it about her, not the players”-Just My Opinion
• “Turned it into a press conference. Horrible idea!”-salimmadjd

During the trophy presentation, Carillo first interrupted Anisimova as she began thanking her team, then similarly cut short Sabalenka’s speech, prompting the champion to halt Carillo mid-prompt and insist, “Wait, wait, I’m not done. I need to thank my team”. Fans argued these interruptions undermined the tradition of heartfelt post-match remarks and shifted focus away from players’ emotions.

Tournament director Stacey Allaster has yet to comment on the backlash, while online discourse continues to question whether future ceremonies will return to player-centered speeches.