The start of Monday’s US Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz was delayed by 30 minutes, organizers said, due to tighter security measures enforced with President Donald Trump in attendance.
“As a result of the security measures in place, and to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats, we have pushed the start time of today’s match to 2:30 pm ET,” the USTA said in a statement.
Trump’s presence at the Grand Slam tennis tournament is the latest in a list of high-profile sports outings since beginning his new term.
It will mark Trump’s first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2015 — when the then-presidential candidate and his wife Melania were booed on arrival by the crowd.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) advised broadcasters not to televise any boos or cheers the president might receive from the crowd on Monday.
“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 USTA wrote.
Alcaraz previously showed his gratitude towards the president for supporting the tournament.
“It is a privilege for the tournaments having the president from every country,” he told reporters, “to support the tournament, to support tennis, and to support the match.”
“‘For me, playing in front of him… to be honest, I will try not to think about it. I don’t want… to be nervous because of it,” he added. “It’s great for tennis to have the president into the final.”