President Donald Trump's visit to the U.S. Open in Queens became a spectacle both inside and outside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday. Fans erupted with a mix of boos and cheers as the former president made an entrance, overshadowed by the inconvenience suffered by thousands due to the heightened security. The Gothamist reported that security screenings caused by Trump's attendance delayed the match's start by 30 minutes, although it seems that it was not enough to prevent some fans from missing the start of the game.
Attendees found themselves chanting "Let us in" as they were held up in massive lines trying to get through the two metal detector screenings and hand searches. "These lines are outrageous," Dino Romeo, a 27-year-old fan who traveled from California, told The New York Post. Inside, Trump's presence continued to spark a divided reaction. Videos from the event show that the president was booed when he appeared on the stadium’s jumbotron during the national anthem and several other times as well.
It wasn't just the fans in the queue who were frustrated. Online discourse quickly spiraled into debates following the evening, with some defending Trump's right to attend the match as sitting president, while others lamented the disruption brought by his presence. One attendee lamented to The New York Post, "I don’t support him. I don’t think he’s qualified to be in there." In contrast, a fan named John expressed his approval, saying, "I love it — I think it’s great. It’s the US Open, and he’s the US president. I’m all about it."
Trump attended the final match flanked by a number of his administration members and family, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Despite the mixed reception, Trump stayed through the awards ceremony and even tossed MAGA hats to fans. Meanwhile, the USTA's reported request, captured by The Gothamist, for broadcasters to refrain from airing “any disruptions or reactions in response to the president's attendance” sparked its own conversation about media coverage of political figures at public events. This request came several years after Trump was heavily booed at the 2015 U.S. Open.
In the end, Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in four sets to win the men's final, but the competition was almost upstaged by the presidential theatrics that unfolded off the court. While the USTA aimed to maintain focus on the tennis, the day proved to be as much about American politics and its polarizing figures as it was about the sport itself.
