The US Open had a nightmare start to the final day of its tournament due to a massive security operation that delayed the men’s final as thousands waited outside to enter the venue.
World No.1 Jannik Sinner was set to take to the court for his match against Carlos Alcaraz at around 19:00 BST before it was announced that there had been a delay of more than 30 minutes. Organisers have tightened up the entry rules to the venue due to the arrival of President Donald Trump, with only one route into the venue being in use instead of multiple. Among his entourage are his chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“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 p.m. ET,” a statement from the United States Tennis Association said.
There has already been controversy surrounding the arrival of President Trump. On Saturday, a reported letter from the USTA sent to broadcasters was leaked by Ben Rothenberg’s Bounces. In it, the organisation wrote, ‘we ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity.’
Journalist Adam Zagoria has captured a glimpse of the scene inside the Arthur Ashe Arena, with Trump receiving a ‘muted’ response in his view. The noticeable empty seats were due to the many still waiting outside to get in.
Trump is a divisive figure despite getting 77,302,580 popular votes in the 2024 election. NBC News recently reported he currently has an approval rating of 43% based on a survey of more than 30,000 people. However, he has a history of attending the US Open and had a suite at the tournament for nearly two decades before giving it up in 2017 during his first term as president.
The first point of the men’s final took place at around 7:50 BST.
