RAFAEL Nadal was preparing to serve in the middle of a third-set tie-break at the Australian Open about 10pm on Tuesday night, when the sound of a crying baby wailed across Rod Laver Arena.

The crowd laughed at the interruption, but world No. 1 Nadal was not impressed.

He apologised to his opponent, Croatia’s Marin Cilic, and asked the umpire to remove the baby from the venue.

“This is when a player wants a chair umpire to ask for the baby to be removed. Neither of these guys want to play with that,” Channel Seven commentator Jim Courier said.

“What’s a baby doing awake at 10 o’clock at night anyway?” Courier asked.

Rafa couldn't serve because of a crying baby. He apologized to Cilic for delay. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/K1Uz3YWRud — Ashish TV (@Ashish__TV) January 23, 2018

Who brings a crying baby to a tennis match, especially Rafa's? SMH stupid ass baby broke his concentration 😂 #AusOpen — Marlena Myles (@ThisIsMarlena) January 23, 2018

Nadal lost the point and would later forfeit the match with an injury in the fifth set.

Viewers took to social media to question why a parent would take their baby to a late night tennis match.

Who drags their baby to a tennis match that will be lucky to finish at 12am? #AusOpen18 #Ausopen — Madeleine (@maddicharles) January 23, 2018

I'm not sure why anyone would take a small child or a baby to the tennis. Live your lives, parents, but stay away from places where you're required to be silent. #AusOpen — Trent (@trentslatts) January 23, 2018

If Rafa loses this set, I’m blaming the baby. #AusOpen — Jess (@JessicaKCameron) January 23, 2018

Who takes their baby to the tennis?!?!? I've cracked it #AusOpen — Clement Tito (@ClementGTito) January 23, 2018

Yeah uh don’t bring your baby to the tennis #AusOpen — Michael Koziol (@michaelkoziol) January 23, 2018

“What’s a baby doing awake at 10 o’clock anyway?” - haven’t spent much time around babies have you, Jim Courier? #ausopen — Dr Daniella Trimboli (@djtrimboli) January 23, 2018

A crying baby also interrupted play at the Open last week, with Donna Vekic firing up about the screaming child during her match against Angelique Kerber.

Vekic asked the chair umpire to do something about the baby, but the umpire explained that her hands were tied.

The topic was discussed on Melbourne’s 3AW on Wednesday morning, with host Neil Mitchell arguing it might be time to “ban babies” from the tennis.

“I don’t know if we can do it legally but why don’t we ban babies from the tennis?” Mitchell said.

“Get the baby out! It not only interrupts the game, I wouldn’t like to be sitting next to one at the tennis,” he said.

One caller said it was “selfish” of parents to take their young children into the arena.

“Everybody else pays money to watch the tennis and then you have a screaming child there? It’s just selfish,” the male caller said.

Australian Institute of Family Studies director Anne Hollands told Mitchell a balance was achievable.

“The Australian Open is meant to be a family-friendly event, so you’ve got the screens outside and people have picnics, so some people will want to take a baby inside the court, one that just sleeps and eats and isn't too difficult to manage,” Ms Hollands said.

“But it certainly is a community expectation in a lot of places that if a crying baby is interrupting the performance, for example at a theatre, then you step outside.”

Children under the age of 18 are welcome to attend the Australian Open but they must be accompanied by an adult. Kids aged two and under get entry for free.

At Wimbledon, babies are not allowed into the big “show courts”.

“We recommend that babes in arms and pushchairs are not brought to the Championships as the grounds are large and crowded,” the tournament’s website states.

“A limited number of baby changing facilities are available but there are no facilities for mothers to ‘express’ milk.”

News.com.au has contacted the Australian Open organisers for comment.

rebecca.sullivan@news.com.au