President Donald Trump was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos upon his arrival at the U.S. Open final in New York City on Sunday, Sept. 7, with the majority of the stadium seats empty and the match start time delayed due to enhanced security checks.
The Queens borough native is attending the men’s final between No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz at the invitation of Rolex, the Swiss luxury watch company and sponsor of the tournament, according to independent tennis writer Ben Rothenberg.
He was accompanied by a group of administration officials and family, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Wtikoff, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, son-in-law Jared Kushner and granddaughter Arabella Kushner.
Here’s what to know about the 2025 U.S. Open men’s final:
USTA reportedly asks broadcasters to ‘refrain’ from showing reactions
The US Tennis Association, the hosts of the tournament, sent a memo to its broadcast partners asking them to “refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity,” according to The Athletic and Rothenberg.
“We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions,” Lisa Cradit, the USTA’s Head of Communications & Content, told USA TODAY in an email.
ESPN told USA TODAY that it would cover on-court play as normal, show images of Trump and acknowledge his presence.
Trump attended other major sporting events
Trump has been a fixture at major sporting events following his return to the White House in January.
He attended Super Bowl LIX and the Daytona 500 in February, the NCAA wrestling championships finals in March, as well as two UFC fights in April and June.
In July, Trump elbowed in on the celebrations of Premier League side Chelsea following their victory in the Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in northern New Jersey.
What to know about the match
The final between Sinner and Alcaraz will mark the 15th meeting between the two competitors.
Alcaraz has a 9-5 record against Sinner, including three wins in the last four matches in 2025. Sinner managed to get the best of Alcaraz, winning the Wimbledon final in July.
The men’s final started at 2:30 p.m. ET, the USTA announced, due to “security measures in place, and to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats.”
The match will be broadcast on ABC.
This story has been updated with new information
