President Donald Trump’s appearance at the U.S. Open men’s final in Queens on Sunday was met with boos from fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, and curses from thousands of ticketholders stuck outside the arena as they struggled to get through Secret Service security screenings set up for the commander in chief’s visit.
The additional security measures caused lines so long that the United States Tennis Association delayed the match’s original 2 p.m. start time by 30 minutes so people could get to their seats. But many attendees were still waiting outside when the match started. Videos shared on social media show crowds of fans chanting “Let us in” while they waited.
Inside the stadium, videos show the crowd mostly booing — with many attendees clapping — when Trump appeared on the stadium’s jumbotron during the national anthem. The president was met with boos several other times when he appeared on the screen.
Trump sat in the arena’s suite sponsored by Rolex suite alongside the Swiss watchmaking company’s CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy and Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East.
Queens man Donald Trump attended the U.S. Open men’s final on Sunday, where Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in four sets.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
The USTA had reportedly requested that broadcasters ABC and ESPN not air “any disruptions or reactions in response to the president’s attendance.” Trump, a Queens native, had not attended the U.S. Open since he was heckled by crowds in 2015 after launching his first presidential campaign.
Carlos Alcaraz won Sunday’s men’s final match, defeating defending last year’s champion Jannik Sinner in four sets.
Catalina Gonella
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