President Trump on Sunday attended the U.S. Open men’s final in New York to watch the match between Jannik Sinner of Italy and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain — in his first appearance at the event in a decade and first since being elected president.
Mr. Trump waved to the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, sitting alongside Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour, upon his arrival in a luxury suite. Joining the president in the suite were Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, among others.
The match’s start time was pushed back half an hour to give spectators more time to get to their seats due to the long security lines.
The appearance marked Mr. Trump’s first visit to the U.S. Open since attending the women’s quarterfinal match between Venus and Serena Williams in 2015, where he was booed in the stadium. At the time, Mr. Trump was a candidate for president.
At Sunday’s match, Mr. Trump was cheered during the National Anthem, although the stadium was not yet full, and was later booed when shown again on the screens inside.
The U.S. Tennis Association leadership asked all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing disruptions or reactions in response to Mr. Trump’s visit, according to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg of Bounces. A USTA spokesperson told CBS News that they “regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions.”
After 22-year-old Alcaraz defeated Sinner in four sets, Mr. Trump stayed for the award ceremony, leaving a little before 6 p.m. He signed some hats after the match ended.
Mr. Trump had previously been a fixture at the U.S. Open for decades, though the appearances dropped off once he ran for president. The Trump Organization once had its own suite at the tournament, but that ended at the start of Mr. Trump’s first term.
Sunday’s match was Alcaraz and Sinner’s third Grand Slam final against each other this year. Asked on Friday about Mr. Trump’s visit, Alcaraz said it’s a “privilege” to have a president “from every country just to support the tournament, to support tennis.”
“I will try not to be focused [on Mr. Trump],” Alcaraz said. “I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it.”
