Any time the President of the United States attends a sporting event, much less one as prestigious as the US Open, the response is typically overwhelmingly positive. That was not the case for Donald Trump, however.
Mass Delays Were Caused by Donald Trump’s Attendance at the US Open Final
Perhaps the reaction was due to the delays caused by Trump’s entrance in the highly anticipated final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. A footage from The Tennis Letter’s X account showed the President coming for the event, with a view of the outside of Arthur Ashe Stadium exposing multiple airport-style scanners and the delays they were causing for spectators. Every spectator was compelled to walk through full-body scanners, dump their pockets into trays, and even be searched if the detector went off.
The scanners and additional security precautions caused the match’s start time to be delayed by 50 minutes, but even that margin of error was insufficient for a large number of supporters. There were still a lot of empty seats as Sinner hit the opening serve of the match at 14.50 local time. During the third game’s change of ends, a large crowd rushed into the stadium to take their seats. Many spectators, meanwhile, were stranded outdoors in the misting rain, unsure whether they would see any of the action.
Fans’ Reaction to Donald Trump at Arthur Ashe Stadium
The crowd’s reaction to Trump’s appearance at Arthur Ashe Stadium was initially positive, but it quickly turned negative when the President appeared on the jumbotron during the national anthem. The Democratic Wins Media account on X captured footage of the New York audience cheering during the pre-match presentation. However, the President’s acknowledgement with a smile throughout the anthem drew more boos, quickly drowning out any positive response.
Trump made one final appearance on the big screen many sets into the match before television coverage focused completely on the court. After four sets, Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the winner-takes-all match at Flushing Meadows. The Spaniard won his second US Open championship, defeating last year’s champion and reclaiming the top spot in the men’s rankings. Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last eight Grand Slams combined.
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