Trump To Attend US Open Men's Final Amid Broadcast Rules To Mute Crowd Reactions

(MENAFN- Live Mint) President Donald Trump plans to attend the US Open men's singles final on Sunday as a guest of Rolex, weeks after his administration imposed a steep 39% tariff on Swiss products . Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, extended the invitation despite Trump's policy moves directly impacting its home country.

The US Tennis Association (USTA) instructed broadcasters not to air crowd reactions - positive or negative - to Trump's presence.

“With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony,” a USTA email said, according to Bounces.

“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.”

A USTA spokesperson added,“We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions.”

Security pushes back match start

The men's final between defending champion Jannik Sinner, 24, and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, 22 , was delayed by half an hour due to extra security screening. Trump will watch the match from Rolex's suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York.

Alcaraz , asked beforehand about the President's attendance, said:“I will try not to be focused, and I will try not to think about it. I don't want myself to be nervous because of it.”

He added that having any US President watch the final was“great for tennis.”

Echoes of 2015 booing incident

Trump last attended the US Open in 2015, when he was loudly booed during a quarterfinal match months after launching his first presidential campaign.

This time, while no large-scale street protests were visible near the stadium, some fans made quiet wardrobe choices to avoid confusion with Trump's political branding.

A shift in strategy

Trump's second term has been marked by frequent appearances at major sporting events rather than the campaign-style rallies that defined his political rise.

Since returning to the White House in January, he has attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans , the Daytona 500, UFC fights in Miami and Newark, the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia, and the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.

On Air Force One en route to New York, Trump told reporters the plane would be flying over Ashe Stadium but declined to give further remarks.

Celebrities in attendance

The crowd featured numerous celebrities, including Pink, Bruce Springsteen, Shonda Rhimes, Michael J. Fox, Sting, Shaggy, Ben Stiller, and Courteney Cox. Many of them publicly backed then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election campaign.

Trump will be accompanied by senior White House officials such as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

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