President Donald Trump was greeted by a mix of cheers and boos as he was shown by ESPN/ABC during the national anthem before the US Open men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The final was delayed by 30 minutes due to extra security measures attributed to Trump’s appearance at the event. It was then delayed again, and ultimately started around 48 minutes late. Clips of a slow-moving line to enter the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center prior to the match circulated on social media.
Earlier this weekend, Bounces writer Ben Rothenberg reported that the USTA asked broadcasters to “to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity.”
The USTA effectively confirmed the report in a statement to FOS, saying that “we regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions.”
Saturday, a source told FOS that ESPN would acknowledge Trump’s presence at the final but focus on the match. Trump is attending the event as a guest of Rolex, one of the tournament’s biggest sponsors.
ESPN aired an address from Trump during halftime of the college football national championship game earlier this year. He was also shown getting applauded at multiple UFC events, which air on ESPN platforms but are produced by the MMA promotion. UFC fights will migrate to Paramount next year.
