Donald Trump was far from the cozy confines of the UFC octagon. The howling approval that greets him in the country’s college football enclaves had been replaced by something far less welcoming.
On Sunday, Trump entered a familiar but less hospitable sporting arena, returning to the US Open for the first time in a decade to take in the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which Alcaraz won.
Trump’s presence was felt even before the first serve, with the scheduled 2:00pm ET start time pushed back more than a half-hour to accommodate the intensified security presence. As spectators took their seats inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Trump mingled in his center-court suite, where the US Open trophy was prominently displayed. When he initially appeared, only briefly, before the half-empty venue, the president was greeted with a mix of whistles, and, for better or worse, boos.
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During the pre-match national anthem, Trump stood saluting alongside Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Pam Bondi, First Lady Melania Trump, granddaughter Arabella Kushner and son-in law Jared Kushner. When he appeared on the video boards midway through the rendition, another mix of loud boos and cheers echoed inside the cavernous stadium.
After Alcaraz eased his way to a first-set victory, however, Trump drew a decidedly more negative reaction when he was shown on the video boards. A number of individuals throughout the stadium could be seen standing and applauding, but the derision was near deafening. Camera operators remained fixed on Trump, allowing him to linger on the boards as the jeers rained down. All the while, Trump displayed a smirk with pursed lips. There was reason to believe the reception could have been even worse. After all, Trump was booed loudly the last time he attended the Open in 2015, when he was still only a candidate.
