The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sunday, September 7 is not just paying witness to the final showdown between Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner for the season, but also a bit of political history. President Donald Trumparrived at the venue shortly before the match to cheer on the two finalists for the U.S. Open's Men's Singles Finals, the first sitting President of the United States to do so in 25 years.
President Trump, 79, becomes the first person in office to attend the U.S. Open since Bill Clinton in 2000, although this is not his personal first. He was last present at the Open in 2015 with his wife and now first lady Melania, during a quarterfinal match between Serena and Venus Williams, where he was heavily booed when shown on the jumbotron. His last appearance preceded his eventual election as the 45th President by a year.
Trump was shown on the pre-match feeds at the stadium prior to the start of the game, receiving a mix of cheers and loud boos from the crowd, most notably loud applause from those in the luxury boxes surrounding his own.He was a guest of the Rolex corporate suite, joined by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
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Also in attendance were special envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and his granddaughter Arabella Kushner. His slated appearance at the game was reported earlier this week, with security measures amped up considerably to account for his showing. The start of the game was delayed by half an hour to 2:30 to accommodate for the increased security as well.
As first reported by Bounces by Ben Rothenberg, a memo from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) advised broadcasters showing the President's appearance at the game to essentially censor any boos or voices of dissent in their broadcasts, including "any possible protests or other reactions to President Donald Trump's presence," per the report.
"With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony," key lines from the memo 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 report also included "talking points and additional facts regarding the President's visit," although the "talking point" in question was apparently simply a statement that "President Trump is planning to watch the US Open Men's Singles Final from a suite as a sponsor guest," which was later revealed to be Rolex. "We appreciate your understanding and cooperation," it concluded.
Trump is currently also slated to attend the New York Yankees game next week, on the 24th anniversary of 9/11. He is also mentioned as an attendee for the opening ceremony of the Ryder Cup, scheduled for September 26-28. Meanwhile, the U.S. Open will close with this final match between Carlos and Jannik, having crowned its Women's Singles champion on Saturday, with Aryna Sabalenka defending her title.
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