Donald Trump, the US President, made news again—this time for an exceedingly odd reason. His visit to the US Open 2025 men's singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at Arthur Ashe Stadium forced the title match to be delayed by over 30 minutes, and fans were visibly upset.
While no advance announcement had been issued regarding Trump's presence, his fleeting appearance on the stadium screens was sufficient to elicit boos from the audience. Tennis fans who were at the venue to watch the best-seeded players face off were discontented that the postponement was attributed to Trump's presence.
The presence of Trump triggered increased security procedures by the U.S. Secret Service and other federal agents. Fans were forced to go through extra checks and metal detectors, which delayed access into the 24,000-seater stadium. The match was initially set to begin at 2 PM EDT but kicked off at least half an hour later, making fans furious.
Kevin, a Brooklyn private equity employee, said in an interview with Reuters, "One hundred percent him. Very selfish. He should know an event like this would be held up for him, especially in a city that hates him." He further said that he waited 1.5 hours to see the match.
At the time of the broadcast, when Trump made his second appearance on the big screen, the audience booed him solidly for 30 seconds. Another spectator, in an interview with Page Six, said the atmosphere was "absolute chaos" due to his presence. "Cars can't drive into parking lots, and people are walking miles. Celebrities are even standing in line like everyone else," they told Page Six.
Karen Stark, a Michigan tennis enthusiast, took a more subdued stance: "Trump can go wherever he wants and watch a match if he wants," she said to Reuters.
The Secret Service admitted that the heightened security protocols were part of the reason for the delay, stating, "We understand that heightened security for the president's visit might have added to delays for fans. We genuinely thank all fans for their understanding and patience."
The upset notwithstanding, Trump had good words for the players afterward, saying he "loved" to be in attendance and congratulated both Alcaraz and Sinner on their "unbelievable talent." He even had a tongue-in-cheek comment about the audience, saying, "The fans were very nice. I didn't know what to expect. Typically, you would say that would be a somewhat 'progressive' crowd, as they say today."
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