Donald Trump was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the New York City crowd when he arrived for the US Open tennis final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, causing a stir at Flushing Meadows.
The former president landed in New York on Sunday afternoon and headed to Queens in anticipation of Sinner’s long-awaited match against rival Alcaraz at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This match marked their third Grand Slam final face-off this year.
The United States Tennis Association increased security measures ahead of the match, which delayed the start time from 2pm to 2:30pm. They instructed broadcasters like ESPN and Sky Sports to avoid airing any protests or reactions to Trump’s presence.
About 40 minutes prior to the final’s start, Trump stepped out of his private suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he was attending as a guest of Rolex. His appearance was met with a combination of cheers and boos from the crowd.
Accompanying the 79-year-old were a considerable entourage, including attorney general Pam Bondi, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, White House deputy chief Dan Scavino, granddaughter Arabella Kushner, and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Outside the arena, fans experienced chaos as they queued to enter amid tight security measures, leading to Alcaraz and Sinner beginning the final with many empty seats in the stands.
Donald Trump was greeted with cheers and boos when he arrived at the US Open final Sunday
Meanwhile, chaos occurred outside the arena as thousands of fans lined up to enter amid increased security measures outside Arthur Ashe Stadium
Trump is a guest of Rolex at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz
Daily Mail reporter Matthew Lambwell, who is on the ground in Queens, said about the frantic scenes before the match got underway: ‘This is total chaos here. Lines are absolutely insane. They will either have to delay again or start with hardly anyone in’.
A US Open insider also told the Daily Mail ahead of his appearance that nerve agents and chemical weapons were among potential threats at Flushing Meadows.
‘We’ve been scoping out the area with our colleagues in the CIA and taking precautions in the event of an attack using chemical weapons or nerve agents,’ the source said.
However, those security preparations are said to be precautionary and are not understood to relate to any specific threat made against the commander-in-chief.
As the American national anthem was played before the match, Trump’s emergence on the big screens in Arthur Ashe again triggered a contrasting response from the crowd, with some showing their disdain for the president and others heard applauding.
Since being re-elected Trump has made sport a huge part of his second term, with Sunday’s US Open final between Sinner and Alcaraz the second major event he is slated to attend in the Big Apple over the coming days.
After the tennis showpiece, he is also expected to be at Yankee Stadium on September 11 – the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack on the city. That night, the playoff-chasing New York Yankees host the Detroit Tigers.
Trump was met with a chorus of boos when he last attended the US Open with wife Melania in a majority-Democrat New York back in 2015.
The president emerged from his private suite roughly 40 minutes from the start of the final
Anti-Trump protestors were also seen outside the stadium before Sunday’s tennis showpiece
Trump was seen boarding Air Force One and making his way to New York earlier in the day
He was jeered when he last attended the major tennis tournament with wife Melania in 2015
The then-GOP presidential frontrunner was heavily jeered when he arrived to watch top-ranked Serena Williams defeat her older sister, Venus, in the women’s singles quarterfinals.
After beating Novak Djokovic in the semifinals Alcaraz was quizzed on the prospect of Trump watching his battle with Sinner, with the Spaniard admitting he is trying to put it to the back of his mind.
‘It is a privilege for the tournaments having the president from every country just to support the tournament, to support tennis, and to support the match,’ he initially told reporters about the US president’s plans to attend the final.
‘For me, playing in front of him… to be honest, I will try not to think about it. I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it.
‘But I think attending the tennis match, it’s great for tennis to have the president into the final.’
Once the US Open and Yankees appearances are complete, Trump will turn his sporting focus to the Ryder Cup after it confirmed that he will be at the first day of the golf tournament on September 26 at Bethpage in New York.
He was also spotted at the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, just outside of the Big Apple, in July, leaving victorious Chelsea players baffled when he remained on stage during their trophy lift.
The president also attended the Super Bowl earlier this year as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans, Louisiana.
