‘Make it stop’: World is sick of ‘stupid’ Aussie trend in Melbourne

The world’s best tennis players have slammed Australian Open crowds for not showing enough respect, with hate for a particular new trend.

It’s the soccer trend that has infiltrated the Australian Open – the crowd screaming “siu” when they see something they like.

The only problem is, it sounds a lot like “boo”.

And apart from creating confusion on that front, the rowdiness of the crowds this year is not impressing players.

Men’s world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, from Russia, and powerhouse doubles duo Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, from Croatia, have both said the crowds at Melbourne Park need to show more respect.

Australian star Nick Kyrgios, who is a big advocate for creating a raucous atmosphere at matches and hyping up the crowd, first spoke of the “siu” trend on Tuesday night after his wild match at John Cain Arena against Liam Broady.

While everyone was wondering if the players were getting booed, it soon emerged some fans were emulating the sound made when football star Cristiano Ronaldo scores a goal and performs his trademark celebration.

“Siu” comes from from the Spanish word for “yes” and Aussie fans were bringing a European flavour to Melbourne this summer.

“Yeah, it’s just stupid. F***, I can’t believe they did it so much,” Kyrgios said after beating Broady.

“They were doing some Ronaldo thing. Ronaldo does it every time he scores. It’s like — I thought they were going to do it for like 10 minutes.

“They did it for two-and-a-half hours, like every point. I don’t know why, but I don’t know. It was a zoo out there.”

Crowds screaming “siuuu” sound a lot like they are booing. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Aussie star Nick Kyrgios loves hyping the crowd but has also become frustrated at the inappropriate timing. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Andy Murray, who played before Kyrgios, said the yelling of “siu” was “incredibly irritating” and he initially thought he was being booed.

When Kyrgios took on Medvedev on Thursday night at Rod Laver Arena, the yelling of “siu” continued.

When news.com.au asked a bunch of fans who had been screaming it throughout the match and asked why, they referenced Ronaldo. As to why it had caught on here at the tennis this year, there was no answer other than it being the trend.

After another loud match, where Kyrgios swore at the crowd for screaming while he was trying to serve and blew up at the umpire for not controlling people in the stands, Medvedev told the arena to “show some respect” in his post-match interview.

In an awkward exchange, American tennis great Jim Courier tried to explain the crowd was not booing him but yelling “siu”.

“So I think that is what is going on. I don’t think they are booing you. I hope I am right on that,” he said.

Medvedev then wrote “siuuuu” on the camera as he exited the arena and later told Eurosport those making the noise must have a “low IQ”.

The SIUUU craze didn't take long to win over its staunchest critic! 😆#AusOpen - Live on Channel 9 and 9Now pic.twitter.com/DOPeACclaq

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) January 20, 2022

Speaking to media after the match, Medvedev explained: “I was like, well, okay, I’m going to write it then because everybody is doing it. So I guess that’s the thing to do.

“The only thing, between first and second serve, that’s where, you know, it’s tough.

“It’s not good for the game I think to do it, because probably people don’t know, but when you’re getting ready for the second serve, well, it’s a tough moment.

“I think, yeah, people should respect both players and just, you know, don’t talk in these moments.”

Some big names took to social media to criticise the trend.

American AFL star Mason Cox commended Medvedev for calling out the crowd for their behaviour.

“Tennis is not soccer. When 76,000 people say it after a Ronaldo goal it’s cool. When 100s yell it to a tennis star that hears it as ‘boo’ it doesn’t send the right message,” he wrote.

American sports journalist Ben Rothenberg tweeted “This ‘siu’ s**t is stupid and should stop”, getting 2500 likes in support.

Earlier in the week, former Australian tennis player turned coach Roger Rasheed told SEN: “In Davis Cup ties we see the parochialism of the home country, we acknowledge that and respect that.

“This is entertaining to a level, and then I think it crosses a line where it’s not a tennis match anymore because there’s too much going on with all the punters there.”

The world’s best tennis players have found Aussie crowds disrespectful. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic weren’t impressed with a packed Kia Arena full of screaming Aussie fans. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The “siu” yelling continued into Friday night.

It was especially prominent at Kia Arena as Australia’s Dane Sweeny and Li Tu won against the Philippines’ Treat Huey and Indonesia’s Christopher Rungkat, and again as Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis knocked top doubles seeds Mektic and Pavic out of the Open.

At the former there was one point when the standard “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi” chant became “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Siu Siu Siu”.

Tweets from around the world slamming the trend also continued. Aussie tennis icon Rennae Stubbs wrote: “Two things! Stop cutting your hair as a mullet and two stop booing or doing whatever noise sounds like a boo at the tennis! U idiots and Good night!”

Ex-Hockeyroo Georgie Parker said: “Who started this ‘siuuu’ thing, and who do I speak to to make it stop?

“Important to note I am talking about this specifically in tennis, particularly when someone is speaking, not at a football match.”

Speaking in a press conference after the match against Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, Pavic said of the crowd: “That’s how they are here. We’re used to that … but it wouldn’t hurt them to show some respect.”

Australian world no. 1 in women’s singles Ash Barty had a simple take on the use of “siu” at Melbourne Park.

“I don’t really understand. It’s not my thing,” she said after her win against Italy’s Camila Giorgi in straight sets 6-2 6-3 on Friday night.