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President Donald Trump drew a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York ahead of the U.S. Open men’s singles final on Sunday afternoon.
Trump showed up less than an hour before the match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz began. He stepped onto the balcony of the Rolex corporate suite he was situated in and waved the crowd. Tennis fans cheered for the president and Trump mouthed, “Thank you.”
The president saluted as the national anthem played in the stadium. He received a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd as the cameras panned toward him. He reportedly received boos again in the middle of the match.
Trump critics were quick to pile on the president, only mentioning the boos from the crowd. Bounces reporter Ben Rothenberg noted that the president received some claps as well.
It’s Trump’s first visit to the Grand Slam tennis tournament since before he got into the White House. He was seen at the event in September 2015 – months after he announced his run for president the first time. And it’s a pretty good time to be a fan of the sport.
Sinner and Alcaraz have cemented themselves as the two top stars in the post-Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal eras. Novak Djokovic has proved that he could still win Grand Slam titles as well but he hasn’t won since the 2023 U.S. Open. He reached the semifinals in each Grand Slam tournament this season.
TRUMP ARRIVES AT US OPEN FOR MEN’S SINGLES FINAL BETWEEN JANNIK SINNER AND CARLOS ALCARAZ
While U.S. Open broadcasters were reportedly ordered to avoid showing disruptions in the crowd over Trump’s presence, Alcaraz welcomed the possibility of seeing Trump in the crowd.
“I think that it is a privilege for the tournaments having the president from every country just to support the tournament, to support tennis, and to support the match,” he said, via The Guardian. “For me, playing in front of him … I will try not to think about it.
“I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it, but I think attending the tennis match, it’s great for tennis to have the president at the final.”
Television networks that are set to broadcast Trump’s arrival at the event at Flushing Meadows in New York City were reportedly told to refrain from airing any boos or cheers for him.
Bounces, a tennis-focused Substack, first reported that the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) sent out the directive to broadcasters.
“With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony,” the message reportedly read. “We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG [Electronic News Gathering] coverage.”
The USTA said it regularly asks its broadcasters to avoid showing disruptions off the court.
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