Donald Trump’s arrival at the U.S. Open in New York for the men’s singles final, his first appearance at the tournament in a decade, caused a delay to the start of play and long lines outside the stadium as people faced extra security measures.
Trump entered Arthur Ashe Stadium in his native Queens at 1.45 p.m. Sunday to watch Carlos Alcaraz take on Jannik Sinner, where he was met by a mixture of cheers and boos. Organizers had asked broadcasters to refrain from showing any reactions or disruptions to the president’s attendance.
He was joined by his son-in-law Jared Kushner and granddaughter Arabella, as well as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The president was also pictured alongside Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour, having been invited to the event as a corporate guest of the Swiss watchmaker. The invitation came despite the Trump administration imposing a whopping 39 percent tariff on Swiss products just weeks before.
Later, during a rendition of the U.S. national anthem ahead of play, Trump’s face appeared on the jumbotron inside the stadium, promoting a wave of boos during the anthem.
Due to additional security measures in place for the president’s arrival, the match was delayed by 30 minutes.
“As as result of the security measures in place, and to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats, we have pushed the start time of today’s match to 2:30 p.m. ET,” a statement from the United States Tennis Association said.
Lengthy lines outside the stadium lead to concerns there may even be further delay. Those with tickets had been told to prepare for additional security and to arrive early for the match.
Ahead of Trump’s attendance, the USTA asked for broadcast coverage to “to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity.”
The president, whose approval rating stood at 40 percent in late July and mid-August according to Reuters/Ipsos polls, is unpopular in his native New York, a Democratic stronghold.
Protesters brandishing flyers and signs reading “Trump must go now!” were pictured outside the stadium.
Born in Queens, where the tournament is held annually, Trump used to be a regular visitor to the U.S. Open, attending as a New York-area real estate mogul and, later, a reality TV star. He usually sat in the suite’s balcony during night matches and was frequently shown on the arena’s video screens.
His last appearance at the tournament was in 2015, a few months after launching his presidential campaign, during which he was booed.
In recent months, Trump has attended major sporting events such as the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Club World Cup in New Jersey, where he bizarrely remained on stage for Chelsea’s trophy lift, and the Daytona 500 in Florida.
Though the crowd may have expressed displeasure at the Trump’s presence, finalist Alcaraz said that having him watching was a “privilege,” and it was “great for tennis to have the president at the final.”
